French prosecutors have accused the CEO of Telegram with permitting illegal activities
After his detention on Saturday, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was accused by French authorities on Wednesday with encouraging illegal conduct on the messaging network and was put under formal investigation.
The Paris Prosecutors‘ Office stated in a statement that Durov was indicted on every accusation that had been made public earlier this week by the prosecution. They included organized gang participation in the management of an internet platform to facilitate an illegal transaction, an allegation that, if proven true, entails a possible punishment of ten years in jail and a fine of 500,000 euros ($555,830).
The 39-year-old entrepreneur, who was born in Russia, has come under fire for allegedly doing little to stop illegal usage of his chat app and social media accounts.
When CNBC contacted Telegram with the official charges, they were not immediately available for comment.
In an earlier statement, Telegram declared that it complies with EU legislation and that CEO Durov has «nothing to hide.» It also stated that «it is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.» The message was made on the social media site X earlier this week.
