Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, in his first statement following his arrest in France, acknowledged that the platform is not without flaws but defended his stance against being personally held responsible for its misuse.
“Last month I got interviewed by police for four days after arriving in Paris. I was told I may be personally responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram,” Durov shared on his Telegram channel.
Durov, 39, addressed concerns by admitting, “All of that does not mean Telegram is perfect.Even the fact that authorities could be confused by where to send requests is something that we should improve.” Durov highlighted that Telegram takes down millions of harmful posts daily and is constantly working to enhance its systems.
He also criticized French authorities for holding him personally accountable for the spread of illicit content on his messaging platform.
The Russian-born entrepreneur was charged last week with enabling criminal activity on Telegram, including child sexual abuse material, fraud, and drug sales, according to French prosecutors.
Durov took to his own platform, Telegram, to express his surprise and disappointment. “I’m still trying to understand what happened in France,” he posted. In a detailed statement he addressed the accusations of enabling criminal activity on the platform, calling it a “misguided approach” to hold him personally responsible.
He emphasized that authorities should have approached his company with their concerns rather than arresting him directly. “No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for potential abuse of those tools,” he wrote.
He explained that Telegram has a designated representative in the EU, with a publicly available email address for law enforcement requests. Additionally, Durov noted his frequent communication with French authorities, having personally assisted in setting up a terrorism hotline with Telegram.
With Telegram now boasting 950 million users, Durov acknowledged that “growing pains” have allowed some criminals to exploit the platform. However, he insisted that he was making it a personal mission to tackle these issues, promising significant improvements in the near future.
French prosecutors have accused Telegram of an “almost total lack of response” to their requests regarding criminal investigations, a claim Durov rebuffed. He stressed that the platform removes millions of harmful posts daily and is far from the “anarchic paradise” it is often portrayed to be.
Durov defended the company’s stance on privacy and security, pointing to Telegram’s refusal to comply with government censorship in countries like Russia and Iran, even at the risk of being banned. He further criticized France for using outdated laws to hold him responsible, suggesting that legal action should target his company, not him personally.
In closing, Durov assured users that more changes were on the horizon, aimed at curbing misuse of the platform while continuing to protect fundamental rights. “We are driven by the intention to bring good and defend the basic rights of people, particularly in places where these rights are violated,” he said.
Durov concluded his post with gratitude, saying, “Thanks again for your love and memes 🙏” and assured users that improvements were on the way.
