Durov has spoken out for the primary time following his arrest final week, defending the platform’s moderation efforts and criticizing authorities for focusing on him personally over customers’ unlawful actions.
At the moment, practically per week after the CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov, was indicted in France, he launched a statement addressing his current authorized troubles within the nation.
In a put up on his official Telegram channel, Durov expressed shock at his fees, emphasizing that the messaging app has an official EU consultant dealing with legislation enforcement requests. He criticized the authorities for bypassing established communication channels and questioning him personally.
He argued that pre-smartphone legal guidelines to cost a CEO with crimes dedicated by others on the platform he manages is “a misguided method.”
Durov defended Telegram’s moderation practices, mentioning the platform’s day by day efforts to take away dangerous content material and preserve hotlines with NGOs for pressing requests.
“We take down hundreds of thousands of dangerous posts and channels day by day. We publish day by day transparency experiences… now we have direct hotlines with NGOs to course of pressing moderation requests quicker.”
Durov
Durov emphasised the challenges of balancing privateness and safety whereas sustaining international consistency, significantly in nations with weaker guidelines of legislation. He highlighted Telegram’s willingness to depart markets the place its rules are compromised, citing bans in Russia and Iran for refusing authorities calls for. He added:
We’re ready to depart markets that aren’t appropriate with our rules, as a result of we aren’t doing this for cash. We’re pushed by the intention to deliver good and defend the essential rights of individuals, significantly in locations the place these rights are violated.
Durov’s arrest on Aug. 24 sparked a sharp decline in Toncoin (TON), the cryptocurrency linked to Telegram, which plunged 20% across the time of his arrest.
Durov’s fees
Final week, Durov was placed under judicial supervision after being indicted on fees associated to insufficient content material moderation on Telegram, together with accusations of terrorism and drug trafficking. He was arrested at Le Bourget airport close to Paris and now faces a court-mandated ban on leaving French territory and twice-weekly police check-ins.
Durov, a Franco-Russian billionaire, has faced legal challenges, with French authorities accusing him of complicity in numerous unlawful actions. He confronted 12 alleged fees.
Durov acknowledged that Telegram has an extended option to go earlier than being crime-free. Durov expressed that he’s dedicated to enhancing Telegram’s content material moderation efforts, acknowledging some rising pains as a result of platform’s fast person progress.
Telegram’s abrupt improve in person rely to 950M precipitated rising pains that made it simpler for criminals to abuse our platform. That’s why I made it my private aim to make sure we considerably enhance issues on this regard.
He additionally reaffirmed the corporate’s mission to guard person privateness whereas cooperating with regulators. Nonetheless, he made it clear that Telegram is keen to exit markets the place its values are compromised.
The crypto group was in an uproar over the arrest and strongly supported Durov.
