Telegram founder Pavel Durov has publicly criticized the ongoing legal case against him in France, stating that a year-long criminal investigation has failed to find any evidence of wrongdoing on his or Telegram's part. In a post on Telegram, Durov called his arrest last month "unprecedented" and argued that holding a tech CEO responsible for the actions of independent users is "legally and logically absurd."
Since his arrest, Durov has been charged with complicity in a range of alleged crimes and initially prevented from leaving France. He now must report to France every two weeks and can only travel to Dubai for up to 14 days at a time with advance notice. Despite Telegram's claim that its moderation policies align with industry standards and that it cooperates with all legally binding requests, the French investigation continues to press the case.
The arrest has been widely condemned by the crypto community and human rights activists, who see it as an attempt to force Telegram into censoring its platform. While French President Emmanuel Macron has defended the actions as upholding law, Durov argues that the case has caused "irreparable damage" to France's reputation for freedom. He has repeatedly stated that Telegram will leave any jurisdiction that mandates censorship, emphasizing its commitment to user privacy and a refusal to create backdoors.
The legal battle highlights the growing global conflict between law enforcement and tech platforms over who is responsible for online content. The case has also brought attention to Telegram's expanding Web3 ecosystem, powered by its integration with The Open Network (TON), which saw a spike in user activity following Durov's arrest.
August 2025, Cryptoniteuae