Durov Faces 12 Charges as Telegram Stands Firm Against Content Scanning Demands

One year has passed since the arrest of Pavel Durov, CEO and co-founder of Telegram, at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Aug. 24, 2024. The arrest, carried out by the French National Judicial Police, came amid a preliminary investigation into alleged crimes facilitated by the messaging platform. Durov now faces 12 charges, including complicity in fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, and organized crime, due to Telegram’s perceived lack of content moderation [1].

Durov expressed confusion and frustration about the case in public statements and interviews, and free speech advocates have strongly criticized the arrest as a threat to digital rights and platform development. In a September 2024 statement on Telegram, Durov said the company was “prepared to leave markets that aren’t compatible with our principles,” emphasizing Telegram’s compliance with EU laws such as the Digital Services Act [1]. The TON Society, an organization supporting the Open Network based on Telegram’s former blockchain project, described the arrest as “a direct assault on a basic human right”.