Pavel Durov Acknowledges Serious Nature of Legal Allegations in France
Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging platform Telegram, has recently come under scrutiny in France due to allegations related to facilitating organized crime. During a recent interrogation by French legal authorities, Durov expressed his understanding of the gravity of the charges against him, as reported by sources close to the case.
According to information revealed from his questioning, Durov conveyed that the service he established with his brother in 2013 was never intended to serve as a medium for criminal activities. He noted that as Telegram's user base expanded significantly, the number of individuals misusing the platform for illegal purposes also rose. Durov, who holds multiple nationalities, including French citizenship, stated that the increase in illicit activity was a concerning development.
In his discussions with investigators, Durov highlighted that whenever the company is alerted to unlawful usage of the platform, they take action by removing accounts that violate either legal standards or Telegram's community guidelines. He indicated that the platform has deleted between 15 to 20 million accounts each month due to such violations.
During an extensive 10-hour interrogation focused on a selection of 15 criminal acts reportedly enabled by the platform's accessibility, Durov expressed his personal disgust at the misuse of Telegram. Furthermore, he committed to enhancing the company's moderation efforts to better address these issues. This mirrors a public commitment made by Durov in September, where he pledged to collaborate more closely with law enforcement and regulatory bodies.
The ongoing investigation into Durov and his company underscores the challenges faced by digital communication platforms in monitoring and controlling the activities of their users. As Telegram continues to grow in popularity globally, the potential for its misuse persists, prompting calls for more stringent oversight and improved moderation capabilities.
