France Telegram boss must remain in custody after arrest
The head of the messaging app Telegram, who was arrested in France, remains in police custody for the time being. The 39-year-old was arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening.
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- The head of the messaging app Telegram, who was arrested in France, remains in police custody for the time being.
- According to a media report on Sunday evening, the investigating judge in charge in Paris decided to extend the detention for questioning of Pawel Durow.
- The 39-year-old was arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening.
- He was the subject of an arrest warrant for preliminary investigations in connection with allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, online bullying, organized crime and promoting terrorism.
- Durov is accused of not having done enough to prevent the use of his messenger service for criminal purposes.
A source familiar with the investigation told the AFP news agency that the investigating judge in Paris decided on Sunday evening to extend the detention of Pawel Durow for questioning.
The detention can therefore last up to 96 hours. The judge must then decide whether to release Durov or open an investigation.
The 39-year-old was arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening. He was the subject of an arrest warrant for preliminary investigations in connection with allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, online bullying, organized crime and promoting terrorism. Durov is accused of not having done enough to prevent the use of his messenger service for criminal purposes.
Following Durow's arrest, Telegram emphasized that the company had not violated European law. All applicable rules were being adhered to, including the new DSA digital law, which is intended to bring about a more consistent crackdown on illegal content and activities on large online platforms. Durov has "nothing to hide". The 39-year-old, who has Russian and French citizenship, "frequently travels to Europe", according to a Telegram statement. It was "absurd" to hold a platform or its boss responsible "for the misuse of this platform".
Up to 200,000 recipients per group
The encrypted messaging service Telegram has established itself as an alternative to US platforms since it was founded in 2013. Telegram refuses to disclose any user data, even in the case of criminal offenses.
Telegram allows groups with up to 200,000 users. This has led to the online service being accused of facilitating the spread of false information, paedophile or far-right content and conspiracy theories.
The competing messenger service Whatsapp introduced limits on the dissemination of posts in 2019. The app had previously been accused of enabling the spread of false information that led to lynchings in India.