Telegram co-founder released on €5 million bail

Telegram co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov was charged in France on Wednesday with multiple crimes related to the operation of the Telegram app, including facilitating extremist content and crime. Although he was later released on bail after paying 5 million euros, he was not allowed to leave the country.

Indictment against 39-year-old Russian billionaire Durova The facilitation of criminal activities by organized groups, such as illegal transactions, fraud and money laundering, the distribution of images of minors, and drug trafficking, was cited. He was also accused of refusing to provide documents upon request by the competent authorities.

Durov, who also holds French citizenship, was subsequently released on bail of 5 million euros on the condition that he report to a police station twice a week and not leave France, French news agency AFP reported.

His lawyer David Olivier Kaminsky Reiterating that it is absurd to assume that Duro was involved in any criminal behavior using the Telegram application, he added that “Telegram complies with European digital technology rules in all respects”.

Macron: Arrests not politically motivated

The co-owner of the Dubai-based encrypted messaging network Telegram pitches the app as an alternative to major U.S. platforms that have been criticized for commercial exploitation of users’ personal data. Telegram, on the other hand, promises to never leak any data about its users, which exceeded 950 million in July.

Questions have been raised about the length and circumstances of Durov’s detention following his arrest at an airport near Paris on Saturday, despite French President Nicolas Maduro’s decision to sue him. Emmanuel Macron Soon after came assurances that the arrests were not politically motivated.

This move to arrest the owners of a social network or messaging platform for how they use it is unprecedented, so it’s no surprise that it has sparked a fierce debate about free speech and responsibility, especially online, The Guardian reported on the BBC. In the past, leaders of tech companies have been dealt with by authorities who confronted them with questionable practices or mistakes, but no one expected them to be arrested at an airport.

The 39-year-old is also under investigation for alleged violence against one of his children, an unnamed source told AFP. The complaint about Durov’s alleged violence in Paris was made by his former partner, who lives with him in Switzerland.