Telegram CEO charged for alleged criminal activity on messaging app

(WJET/WFXP) — Telegram CEO and co-founder Pavel Durov has been charged with multiple crimes related to his messaging app following his arrest over the weekend in Paris.

Allegations against the Russia-born Durov, who is a French citizen, include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and that Telegram refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.

The 39-year-old billionaire was indicted Wednesday with complicity in the administration of an online platform to enable an illicit transaction by an organized gang. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of €500,000.

He also faces the following charges:

• Complicity in making, without legitimate reason, a program or data designed to attack an automated data processing system
• Complicity in organized gang dissemination child pornography images of minors
• Complicity in drug trafficking, organized gang fraud, and criminal conspiracy
• Laundering of crimes or offenses by organized games
• Provision of cryptology services aimed at ensuring confidentiality functions without compliant declaration

Durov was detained on Saturday at Le Bourget airport outside Paris as part of a sweeping judicial inquiry opened last month, and released earlier Wednesday after four days of questioning. Investigative judges filed the preliminary charges Wednesday night and ordered him to pay 5 million euros in bail and to report to a police station twice a week.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the arrest wasn’t a political move but part of an independent investigation.

In France’s first public comment on the arrest, Macron posted on the social media platform X that his country “is deeply committed” to freedom of expression, but “freedoms are upheld within a legal framework, both on social media and in real life, to protect citizens and respect their fundamental rights.”

Denouncing what he called false information, Macron said the arrest “is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter.”

Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X who has in the past called himself a “free speech absolutist,” posted “#freePavel” in support of Durov.

Western governments have often criticized Telegram for a lack of content moderation, which experts say opens up the messaging platform for potential use in money laundering, drug trafficking and the sharing of material linked to the sexual exploitation of minors.

In a statement posted on its platform after his arrest, Telegram said it abides by EU laws, and its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving.”

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” Telegram’s post said. “Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

What is Telegram?

Telegram is an encrypted messaging service that is a “cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging app with a focus on security and speed.”

The platform was founded by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai in the fall of 2013. As of 2024, the app has almost 1 billion active users, making it one of the largest messaging apps behind WhatsApp, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger.

The app largely bypasses the government’s oversight of content, with its central privacy feature being its end-to-end encryption in secret chats and calls. This essentially prevents third parties from seeing what is being sent or said in the conversation.

According to Telegram’s FAQ page, the company has historically been funded by Durov, meaning your data is not sold to generate revenue. To help with funding, Telegram has implemented several ways to monetize the platform. In 2021, they added “minimalist, privacy-conscious advertisements that can appear in certain public channels.” The following year, they introduced a premium subscription to support the app and unlock premium features.

The app has become a major source of unfiltered — and sometimes graphic and misleading — content by both Ukraine and Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The app is used heavily by both Ukraine officials and the Russian government.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.