Telegram’s Pavel Durov recently took to the app he founded to share a statement meant to clear up misinformation about his arrest in France last year.
As he has done since his arrest, Durov maintains that Telegram did not violate any French or EU rules in its operations. However, he went further to state that any perceived violations came because French authorities never reached out or tried to cooperate to resolve any concerns they might have had through proper channels.
Telegram founder clears the air about French local reports
The statement began with Durov pointing out that a French newspaper, which had claimed his detainment in France last summer was what “finally” forced Telegram to comply with European rules, was wrong.
As far as he is concerned, “Telegram has always been compliant with EU laws” but it was not until after last August that the French police 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.
“As a result, French courts have been able to receive IP addresses of criminal suspects from Telegram,” Durov revealed.
He added that the information about the legal way to reach Telegram could be obtained on the app, website, or just by googling “telegram eu police” long before his detainment in France.
“Why the French courts and police had been ignoring this process clearly defined by EU law is still a mystery to us, but it’s unfair to say that Telegram somehow ignored European rules,” Durov wrote. “Paradoxically, it was French law enforcement that for some reason had been ignoring them.”
As he concluded his statement, the tech founder expressed regret. He revealed that his love for France and respect for its police made it difficult for him to reveal their shortcomings, but that he was forced to act because there was “obvious misinformation” about Telegram being spread.
In his last paragraph, Durov pointed out how popular Telegram has become and stated that they spend millions every year to ensure 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,” he pointed out as he ended his statement.
Durov’s statement comes weeks after he returned to Dubai
Pavel Durov’s statement today comes weeks after he was allowed to return to his home in Dubai. He was away for about seven months after being arrested in France over charges accusing Telegram of supporting criminal activity.
My new passport photo is strangely suitable for media articles about terrorists using Telegram 🤔 pic.twitter.com/CVif7l626m
— Pavel Durov (@durov) March 18, 2017
“I’ve returned to Dubai after spending several months in France due to an investigation related to the activity of criminals on Telegram. The process is ongoing, but it feels great to be home,” Durov posted on his Telegram channel after his return.
While the privilege to return home is a step forward, a spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor’s office told NBC News that Durov remains under investigation.
Even then, Durov insisted that when it comes to moderation, cooperation, and fighting crime, “Telegram not only met but exceeded its legal obligations.”
Nevertheless, last fall, after he was released by law enforcement but required to stay in France, Durov worked to “significantly improve“ Telegram’s response to criminals who abuse the platform.
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