In a post on his Telegram channel on September 6th, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov spoke out against his arrest in France. Durov also stated that he is willing to exit markets that do not align with Telegram’s principles.
Using laws from a time before smartphones to charge a CEO for crimes committed by a third party on an app they manage is inappropriate and wrong.
According to Durov, Telegram prioritizes user privacy and will not compromise if a country’s demands go against these principles. He cited specific examples of Russia and Iran, where Telegram was banned for refusing government requests related to surveillance and censorship.
Durov also rejected France’s allegations that Telegram did not cooperate with government requests for assistance.
He emphasized that he personally helped French authorities set up a hotline with Telegram to counter terrorism threats in the country. Additionally, Telegram has an official representative in the European Union (EU) to handle and respond to requests within permissible boundaries.
Telegram is willing to exit markets that are incompatible with the company’s principles because we don’t do this for money. Telegram was created for the greater good, to protect fundamental human rights, especially in places where these rights are being violated.
Durov suggested that instead of arresting people and charging individual CEOs, French authorities could file a lawsuit against the Telegram app if they were dissatisfied with the company’s service.
At the end of the post, Pavel Durov acknowledged that Telegram’s massive user growth has led to challenges, making it easier for criminals to exploit the platform. Telegram currently has nearly 950 million users worldwide.
In late August 2024, Durov was arrested at Paris airport before being indicted by a French court. He is accused of complicity in the distribution of child pornography and other crimes, including drug trafficking, through the Telegram app.
After four days in detention, Durov posted bail and was released but remains under judicial supervision, requiring him to stay in France for the foreseeable future.
According to the Financial Times, a significant portion of Telegram’s revenue comes from activities related to cryptocurrency. Additionally, the company held over $400 million in various crypto assets in 2023. Telegram’s current valuation is around $30 billion.