Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov issued a first statement on September 5 regarding his arrest in France. He stated that his platform was collaborating with European authorities and that he had never been contacted by French authorities regarding the various issues he is accused of.
Is the French “Start-up Nation” fundamentally a deterrent to innovators? This is in essence the basis of a message posted on the evening of September 5 by Pavel Dourov, the first since his arrest at the end of August at Le Bourget airport (Seine-Saint-Denis) in the suburbs of Paris, already consulted four and a half million times at the time of writing.
“If a country is not satisfied with an internet service, the established practice is to take legal action against the service itself,” says the man Emmanuel Macron is said to have tried to convince to relocate his application to Paris. “Using laws dating from the pre-smartphone era to accuse a CEO of crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is an ill-advised approach,” continued the Franco-Russian entrepreneur, who spent 90 hours within the walls of the National Anti-Fraud Office (ONAF) in Ivry-sur-Seine (Val-de-Marne), south of the French capital.
“Developing new technologies is hard enough. No innovator will build new tools if they know they can be personally held liable for misuse of those tools,” he added.
During his police custody, the Paris prosecutor’s office had finally revealed that Pavel Dourov was being questioned as part of a judicial investigation into no fewer than 12 “offenses”. He was accused in particular of “complicity” in “possession of the image of a minor presenting a child pornography character”, of “acquisition, transport, possession, offer or transfer of narcotics” or even of “fraud in an organized gang”.
French authorities ‘had many ways to contact me to ask for help’
In the process, voices were raised to denounce the connection made between Pavel Durov and the criminal networks that could use his application. “Yes, indeed, terrorists use the Telegram network, but they also use cars. Why aren’t the CEOs of Renault or Citroën arrested?”, had notably mocked Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov speaks to journalist Pavel Zarubin.
“I was told that I could be personally responsible for the illegal use of Telegram by other people, because the French authorities did not receive any responses from Telegram,” Pavel Durov summarized in his message. A reproach that he considers “surprising” in several respects. The co-founder of Telegram and Vkontakte thus emphasizes that his messenger “has an official representative in the EU who accepts and responds to requests from the EU” and that the French authorities “had many means of [le] contact to ask for help”.
“As a French citizen, I was a frequent guest at the French Consulate in Dubai. Some time ago, when asked, I personally helped them set up a hotline with Telegram to address the terrorist threat in France,” Durov said. “We are committed to working with regulators to find the right balance,” he added. “There are times when we fail to agree with a country’s regulator on the right balance between privacy and security.”
Confidentiality: “We have always been open to dialogue,” assures Durov
“In those cases, we are prepared to leave the country. We have done so many times,” he continued. “When Russia demanded that we hand over ‘encryption keys’ to enable surveillance, we refused – and Telegram was banned in Russia,” he continued, before insisting: “We are prepared to leave markets that are not compatible with our principles, because we are not in this for the money.”
While in custody, Pavel Durov allegedly refused diplomatic assistance from Russia and the United Arab Emirates, where he resides, it was reported. Politico. According to a legal document which the weekly claims to have consulted, the investigation against him would have its origins in a refusal by Telegram to respond favorably to the French authorities concerning the identity of a man who notably declared to an undercover police officer from the Office for Minors (OFMIN) that he had raped a young girl. According to ReleaseTelegram reportedly failed to respond to 2,460 requests from the national gendarmerie between 2013 and 2024.
“The claims of some media outlets that Telegram is some kind of anarchic paradise are absolutely false,” Durov defended in his message posted on his platform, assuring that the Telegram experience – which, he admits, is “not perfect” – had been “shaped by our mission to protect our users in authoritarian regimes.” “But we have always been open to dialogue,” he added.
Saying that he understood that internal actions, such as removing “harmful posts and channels,” may not be “enough” to address the growth in the number of Telegram users, Durov said he had made it his “personal goal” to “ensure” that things “significantly” improve.
Telegram Co-Founder Pavel Durov Speaks Out After Arrest in France: Is the “Start-up Nation” a Deterrent to Innovators?
In a rare statement, Pavel Durov, the co-founder of Telegram, has broken his silence following his arrest in France, calling into question the country’s approach to innovation and entrepreneurship. Durov’s arrest on August 31 at Le Bourget airport in Paris sent shockwaves through the tech community, with many questioning whether France’s “Start-up Nation” is, in fact, a deterrent to innovators.
A Message to the World
In a message posted on September 5, Durov stated that his platform had been collaborating with European authorities and that he had never been contacted by French authorities regarding the various issues he is accused of. The message, which has been viewed over 4.5 million times, highlights the concerns of many in the tech community.
Accusations and Arrest
Durov was arrested as part of a judicial investigation into 12 alleged offenses, including complicity in possession of child pornography, drug trafficking, and fraud. The Paris prosecutor’s office had accused him of being complicit in these crimes, claiming that he had not responded to requests from French authorities.
Denouncing the Connection
Durov has vehemently denied these accusations, stating that his platform had an official representative in the EU who accepts and responds to requests from European authorities. He also emphasized that he had personally helped the French authorities set up a hotline with Telegram to address the terrorist threat in France.
The Right Balance
Durov believes that innovators should not be held personally liable for the misuse of their tools. He argues that if a country is not satisfied with an internet service, the established practice is to take legal action against the service itself, rather than accuse the CEO of crimes committed by third parties on the platform.
Confidentiality and Principles
Durov has always been open to dialogue with regulators to find the right balance between privacy and security. However, when Russia demanded that Telegram hand over “encryption keys” to enable surveillance, the platform refused and was subsequently banned in Russia. Durov reiterated that Telegram is prepared to leave markets that are not compatible with their principles, as they are not driven by profit.
International Reaction
The arrest has sparked international outcry, with many questioning France’s approach to innovation and entrepreneurship. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has mocked the connection made between Durov and criminal networks, asking why the CEOs of Renault or Citroën are not arrested for the illegal use of their cars.
Conclusion
Pavel Durov’s arrest and statement have highlighted the concerns of many in the tech community. Is France’s “Start-up Nation” fundamentally a deterrent to innovators? Or is it a necessary step to ensure accountability and security? The debate rages on, and only time will tell.
Keyword: Pavel Durov, Telegram, France, Start-up Nation, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Arrest, Investigation, Child Pornography, Drug Trafficking, Fraud, Terrorism, Privacy, Security, Encryption, Regulation, International Reaction, Kremlin, Renault, Citroën.
Meta Description: Pavel Durov, Telegram’s co-founder, speaks out after his arrest in France, questioning the country’s approach to innovation and entrepreneurship. Is France’s ”Start-up Nation” a deterrent to innovators?
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