Telegram co-founder and CEO, Pavel Durov , has reaffirmed his commitment to user data privacy . Replying to a user on the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) who suggested that he had provided French authorities with "backdoor" access to Telegram data after his arrest last year, Durov wrote: “I’d rather die — no third party has access to private messages on Telegram.” Durov's post came on the first anniversary of his arrest in August 2024 by French authorities, who accused him of being complicit in criminal activity on the platform. The Russian-born entrepreneur, who has denied all criminal charges against him, was detained for four days. In a thread of posts on X, Durov discussed his arrest last year.
What Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said about his arrest
In his X post, Durov wrote: “One year ago, the French police detained me for 4 days because some people I’d never heard of used Telegram to coordinate crimes. Arresting a CEO of a major platform over the actions of its users was not only unprecedented — it was legally and logically absurd.
A year later, the ‘ criminal investigation ’ against me is still struggling to find anything that I or Telegram did wrong. Our moderation practices align with industry standards, and Telegram has always responded to every legally binding request from France.
Ironically, I was arrested due to the French police’s own mistake: before August 2024, they ignored French and EU laws and hadn’t sent any of their queries to Telegram via the required legal process. They could have learned the correct procedure simply by googling it or asking.
One year after this strange arrest, I still have to return to France every 14 days, with no appeal date in sight. So far, the only outcome of my arrest has been massive damage to France’s image as a free country. One thing is certain: we’ll keep fighting — and we will win ✊”
In August 2024, French prosecutors charged Durov with six offenses, including "complicity" in distributing child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, alleging that he enabled illegal activities to thrive on Telegram while declining to cooperate with authorities.
What Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said about his arrest
In his X post, Durov wrote: “One year ago, the French police detained me for 4 days because some people I’d never heard of used Telegram to coordinate crimes. Arresting a CEO of a major platform over the actions of its users was not only unprecedented — it was legally and logically absurd.
A year later, the ‘ criminal investigation ’ against me is still struggling to find anything that I or Telegram did wrong. Our moderation practices align with industry standards, and Telegram has always responded to every legally binding request from France.
Ironically, I was arrested due to the French police’s own mistake: before August 2024, they ignored French and EU laws and hadn’t sent any of their queries to Telegram via the required legal process. They could have learned the correct procedure simply by googling it or asking.
One year after this strange arrest, I still have to return to France every 14 days, with no appeal date in sight. So far, the only outcome of my arrest has been massive damage to France’s image as a free country. One thing is certain: we’ll keep fighting — and we will win ✊”
In August 2024, French prosecutors charged Durov with six offenses, including "complicity" in distributing child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, alleging that he enabled illegal activities to thrive on Telegram while declining to cooperate with authorities.
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