Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was released from pre-trial detention on Wednesday after spending 4 days in custody. Durov was detained by French authorities on Saturday at Le Bourget Airport exterior Paris. His arrest was based mostly on allegations associated to violations of legal guidelines regarding drug trafficking, baby sexual content material, promotion of terrorism, and cyberbullying, which have been attributed to insufficient moderation practices on Telegram.
The French Public Prosecutor’s Workplace confirmed that Durov’s detention was approved by an investigative Justice of the Peace who authorized a custody interval till Wednesday, August twenty eighth. The investigation facilities on Telegram’s alleged failure to adjust to French laws, significantly within the context of the platform’s content material moderation.
Addressing the case on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Durov’s arrest was not politically motivated however a part of an ongoing judicial investigation.
Telegram posted on Sunday in help of its president and CEO, claiming that Durov has “nothing to cover” and that the messenger platform abides by the legal guidelines of the EU, together with the Digital Companies Act. The platform’s moderation is “inside trade requirements and is continually enhancing,” the submit learn, refuting the allegation of Telegram’s insufficient moderation requirements by the French authorities.
Durov, initially from Russia, fled the nation after refusing to adjust to authorities calls for to close down opposition political teams on his earlier social community, VKontakte (VK), and handy over person knowledge to Russian authorities. In 2013, he and his brother Nikolai Durov launched Telegram.
Source / Picture: jurist.org
