Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messenger, published his first post on his channel after being detained in France.
In his post, Durov thanked his followers for their support and said that French police had questioned him for four days. He called the charges against him and the situation itself unexpected, since, he claims, Telegram has an official representative in the European Union who usually handles such requests.
Telegram in dialogue with regulators
Durov stressed that Telegram adheres to its principles of protecting users in authoritarian regimes, but has always been open to dialogue.
He added that the messenger is in contact with regulators to find a balance between privacy and security. Telegram removes millions of malicious posts and channels daily, publishes transparency reports, and has direct hotlines with NGOs to quickly respond to urgent moderation requests.
Telegram has updated its policy
Following Durov's arrest, the Telegram team updated its policy, allowing users to report illegal content in private chats to moderators.
Previously, Telegram's policy stated that all personal and group chats are private, with the exception of channels and bots, and the messenger's administration does not process any requests related to them.
The section now says that all Telegram groups have a "Report" button that allows users to report illegal content to moderators "with just a few taps." To do this, tap or hold the message, which will bring up a menu with a "Report" button.
Charges against Durov
Durov faces six charges, including complicity in the activities of an organized group, operating an online platform for conducting illegal transactions, refusing to provide information at the request of authorized bodies, and money laundering.
Conditions of release
On August 28, Durov was released from custody in the courtroom with several conditions. In order to remain free for as long as possible, he must fulfill three conditions: post bail of 5 million euros, report to the police twice a week, and not change his place of residence. Durov can choose his own place of residence, but must provide the address to law enforcement agencies. This is not considered house arrest - the businessman can leave his home, but cannot change his address.
The prosecutor's office said the investigation into the Telegram owner's case could drag on for several months. After that, investigators will decide whether to close the case or transfer it to a criminal court with a reclassification of the crimes. There, investigative judges will also decide whether to close the case or schedule a hearing.
Diplomatic assistance
According to Politico, Durov has refused diplomatic assistance from Russia and the UAE. The source said he declined consular protection from Russia and a visit from a representative of the UAE consulate, but agreed to keep the UAE embassy informed.
Is Telegram to blame?
The question of Telegram's guilt is largely rhetorical. With almost a billion users, it is obvious that content moderation requires a huge staff due to the titanic volume of information.
Telegram has never really had full-fledged content moderation, but until its rapid growth, it wasn't something that governments around the world paid attention to.
At the same time, fighting terrorists and drug trafficking is not the responsibility of company executives. They can help the secret services, but they are not obliged to do so. A unique story happened when the messenger was unmoderated for a long time, but having received almost a billion users, it began to attract attention, and the pressure on it is increasing.
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