Telegram founder Pavel Durov pushed back against a media narrative on Thursday, criticizing a French report that claimed his detention last summer led to Telegram’s compliance with European Union laws.
In a statement shared on social media platform X, Durov argued that the messaging platform has always adhered to legal obligations within the European Union and took issue with the assertion that any regulatory changes came as a result of his time in custody. Emphasizing that the report misrepresented the facts and unfairly shifted blame, he said:
Telegram has always been compliant with EU laws.
Durov also contended that it was actually French law enforcement that only recently began following the proper procedures outlined by the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA). “After last August, it was the French police that finally started to ‘comply with European rules’ — by sending their requests to Telegram in the legal way described by the EU’s Digital Services Act,” he explained.
As a result of this procedural shift, he added, French courts have successfully accessed user information from Telegram to assist criminal investigations. The Telegram founder clarified that this official method of contacting Telegram had been publicly accessible long before his detention, stating: “The information about this legal way to reach us could be obtained on our apps, website or just by googling ‘telegram eu police’ — long before my detainment in France.”
While expressing continued respect for France and its police institutions, Durov said he felt compelled to correct public misconceptions. The Telegram founder stressed:
I love France and respect its police force, so I didn’t want to embarrass anyone by pointing out the above. But I cannot ignore when such obvious misinformation about Telegram is spread.
His arrest in France in August 2024 had drawn global attention. He was taken into custody on charges including complicity in child exploitation and drug trafficking, stemming from allegations that Telegram had failed to adequately moderate illegal content. Although released under judicial supervision with a travel ban, a judge later granted temporary travel permission. The case has fueled ongoing international debate about the responsibilities of tech platforms. Durov reiterated the app’s proactive regulatory stance: “Telegram is the 2nd most popular messaging app in the world. We spend millions of dollars every year to ensure our compliance with laws across the globe. In the EU in particular, we always start preparing to comply with laws years before they even come into force.”
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