Pavel Durov Criticizes Misguided Arrest by French Authorities

Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has publicly criticized his recent arrest by French authorities, describing it as a misguided approach. Durov’s statement comes 12 days after his arrest on August 25, where he faced allegations of negligence in relation to the misuse of his social media platform for organized crime activities.

Durov emphasized that when a government has concerns about an Internet service, the appropriate response is to take legal action against the service itself rather than holding its CEO accountable for actions of third-party users. He stated, “Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach.”

The Telegram CEO highlighted the challenges faced by innovators in the tech industry, warning that imposing personal liability for the potential misuse of technology could deter future creativity and innovation. He asserted that the task of building technology is already significant and would be further hindered if creators fear legal repercussions.

Durov also countered claims made in the media characterizing Telegram as an “anarchic paradise,” asserting that the company actively monitors and removes millions of harmful posts and channels on a daily basis. His commitment to safeguarding the platform for its 950+ million users remains firm, as he stated, “I made it my personal goal to prevent abusers of Telegram’s platform from interfering with the future of our users.”

His arrest was initiated by OFMIN, a French government body focused on protecting minors from violence, citing concerns that Telegram was being exploited for sharing abusive content, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, and aiding terrorism.