Pavel Durov Faces Court in Paris Over Alleged Criminal Activities on Telegram

• Pavel Durov faces serious charges over Telegram’s alleged role in illegal activities.
• Telegram partners with IWF to combat child sexual abuse content on the platform.
• Durov’s legal troubles stem from Telegram’s misuse for extremist and illicit transactions.

Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, has appeared in a Paris court for the first time, addressing allegations related to the messaging platform’s alleged involvement in criminal activities. Durov, who has been at the center of multiple legal battles, was questioned by French authorities over Telegram’s role in facilitating illicit transactions and spreading extremist content. 

Durov’s legal troubles began on August 24, when he was detained at Le Bourget airport in Paris. After his temporary arrest, Durov was released on bail amounting to $6 million but remains under strict conditions, including being prohibited from leaving France until March 2025.

The charges brought against Durov by the Paris prosecutor’s office, known as the Parquet de Paris, accuse him of running a platform that allegedly enabled illegal transactions. 

The inquiry into Telegram’s activities began in early 2024 and culminated in a judicial investigation by July. French authorities have expressed concern over the platform’s role in facilitating extremist content and illegal transactions, prompting an international investigation into the app’s use for illicit purposes.

Durov, originally from Russia, has a history of confrontations with government authorities. Telegram was banned in Russia between 2018 and 2021 after Durov refused to comply with the government’s demand for user data. Durov’s refusal led to his departure from Russia, and he subsequently became a French citizen in 2021. 

In a bid to improve its image and address the rising concerns about illegal content on its platform, Telegram has recently partnered with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a UK-based charity focused on combating online child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Telegram has committed to using IWF’s tools and data to detect, disrupt, and block instances of CSAM.

IWF’s efforts will help Telegram identify known illegal content through unique digital fingerprints, enhancing the platform’s content moderation capabilities. The charity has previously identified thousands of instances of CSAM on Telegram since 2022, and this new partnership is seen as a crucial step in tackling this growing issue.

The investigation into Durov and Telegram is ongoing, and Durov’s legal consequences could have far-reaching implications for the platform’s operations. Telegram’s collaboration with the IWF is a step toward improving its reputation and addressing criticisms about the spread of illegal material.