Telegram's CEO Durov back in Dubai as France investigates criminal activity on his messaging app
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says that he has travelled from France to Dubai, even as the French authorities continue to investigate criminal activity on his messaging app
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said Monday that he has travelled from France to Dubai as French authorities continue to investigate criminal activity on his messaging app.
Durov revealed his whereabouts in a post on his Telegram channel. He had been detained last year after arriving in Paris, where French authorities handed him preliminary charges for allegedly allowing criminal activity on the platform.
After his arrest, Durov was barred from leaving France pending further investigation, and was required to report to a police station twice a week,
“As you may have heard, I’ve returned to Dubai after spending several months in France due to an investigation related to the activity of criminals on Telegram,” Durov wrote. “The process is ongoing, but it feels great to be home."
French investigators say Telegram was used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, and that the platform refused to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.
In his post, Durov thanked the “investigative judges for letting this happen,” and said Telegram ”not only met but exceeded its legal obligations."