Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, is now under formal investigation in France as part of an inquiry into organised crime linked to the messaging app, according to Paris prosecutors.
Although Durov, 39, has not been taken into custody, he is under judicial supervision and required to pay a €5m (£4.2m; $5.6m) deposit.
The Russian-born billionaire, who also holds French citizenship, must report to a French police station twice a week and is prohibited from leaving French territory.
Durov was initially detained last Saturday upon his arrival at Le Bourget airport, north of Paris, under a warrant for app-related offences.
Paris prosecutors have placed Mr. Durov under formal investigation for alleged involvement in various offences, including aiding an organised gang in running an online platform for illicit transactions, refusing to cooperate with authorities, and assisting in the distribution of child sexual images by an organised group.
In France, formal investigation does not imply guilt but suggests enough evidence for further inquiry. Mr. Durov has not commented on the matter, but his lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski, stated that Telegram adheres to European digital regulations and dismissed the accusations as “absurd,” asserting that his client is not involved in the alleged crimes.
It is highly unusual for the owner of a social media platform to be arrested due to the platform’s usage, sparking intense debate online about freedom of speech and accountability.
While tech executives have previously faced tough questioning from lawmakers about their practices, it is rare for them to be met by law enforcement at airports.
Elon Musk, owner of X, has defended Mr. Durov, stating that moderation is merely “propaganda” for censorship and calling for his release. Chris Pavlovski, founder of the controversial video-sharing app Rumble, claimed he fled Europe following Mr. Durov’s arrest.
Although most major social networks cooperate with national and international authorities on serious criminal matters like the distribution of child sexual abuse images, Telegram has been accused of neglecting such responsibilities. Despite this, the Dubai-based firm maintains that its moderation tools adhere to industry standards.
French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized earlier this week that France is firmly committed to freedom of expression, clarifying that the decision to detain Mr. Durov was “in no way… political.”
Telegram allows large groups of up to 200,000 members to share and discuss content, in contrast to WhatsApp, which limits group sizes to just over 1,000.
Paris prosecutors have detained Telegram founder Pavel Durov in a cyber-criminal investigation. Russia views the charges as potentially politically motivated. Telegram, with over 950 million users, has been criticised for not joining international child protection efforts. Durov, who also founded VKontakte, holds multiple citizenships, complicating his situation.
