The French government has forbidden Telegram CEO Pavel Durov from leaving the country without official authorization, according to a report from Politico. Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 and later indicted for being complicit in illegal activity that occurrs on Telegram, like money laundering and the distribution of CSAM (child sexual abuse material).
Durov was attempting to travel to the US for “negotiations with investment funds,” Politico writes, something that French officials decided “did not appear imperative or justified.” In March, Durov received permission to travel to the United Arab Emirates, where he maintains citizenship.
Following Durov’s arrest, Telegram shared that it abided by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act, and that “its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving.” As evidence of that constant improvement, Telegram decided it would provide user IP addresses and phone numbers in response to legal requests in September 2024, something it originally made a point of avoiding. The messaging platform later partnered with the International Watch Foundation in December 2024 to use the organization’s tools to block links to CSAM in Telegram. Both moves could be seen as attempts to appease authorities who might want the messaging platform to answer for the criminal activity it’s seemingly enabled.
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