Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has denounced the French government’s criminal case against him as “unprecedented” and politically motivated, following charges implicating him in child exploitation and drug trafficking due to content allegedly shared on his platform. In a wide-ranging interview with American commentator Tucker Carlson, Durov declared the allegations “baseless” and claimed European authorities are targeting Telegram because of its refusal to cooperate with censorship demands.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has called the criminal case against him in France unfair and baseless. In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson, the Russian-born billionaire argued that he shouldn’t be blamed for crimes committed by users on his messenger service.
Durov, whose company is based in Dubai, was arrested in France in August 2024 on charges of complicity in crimes allegedly committed by Telegram users, including extremism and child abuse. He was later released on bail of €5 million ($5.46 million). Although he was permitted to travel to the UAE in March, his recent request to visit the US has been denied, and he remains under restricted supervision.
Duvov said he is “still confused” by the accusations. “At first, they said, ‘Oh, you failed to respond to our legal requests and that’s why you’re complicit…’ But it’s not true that we didn’t respond to legally binding legal requests,” the Telegram owner explained.
He went on to say that the French judicial system has a “very extensive interpretation of complicity,” and that his lawyers said the case is “quite unprecedented.”
“They had a couple of really small niche apps that are like 10,000 smaller than Telegram,” he added. I realized that it’s not something I did, it’s something other people did using the app I created, Telegram, which is used by a billion people.”
The Telegram CEO agreed with Carlson that arresting him is like putting US President Donald Trump in jail over something that another American citizen has done. He stressed that, as the platform’s owner, he can’t be held responsible for something that one of the app’s users does.
Why Is Europe After Pavel Durov?
Durov, often described as a “libertarian-minded tech rebel,” has long positioned Telegram as a stronghold of privacy, encryption, and resistance to government overreach. This stance, while earning him praise from free speech advocates, has also drawn increasing scrutiny from European governments.
European authorities cite the platform’s role in facilitating illicit activities, including the exchange of child sexual abuse material, coordination of drug sales, and communication channels for extremist content. But critics argue that Telegram is being unfairly blamed for the actions of its users an issue facing nearly every major social platform.
Behind the legal accusations, however, lie deeper political and regulatory tensions:
Telegram’s refusal to comply with EU Digital Services Act (DSA) requests has placed it on a collision course with European regulators, especially France, which has taken a leading role in advocating for stricter online moderation.
The platform’s popularity among dissidents, protesters, and opposition movements from Belarus to Iran and even parts of Europe has made it a thorn in the side of governments seeking more control over digital communication.
Durov’s repeated refusal to establish offices or data centers in Western jurisdictions, which would subject Telegram to local laws and surveillance demands, has been interpreted as evasive or even defiant.
European officials, particularly in France, view Telegram’s opacity and non-cooperation with legal orders as a serious threat to digital sovereignty and public safety.
Why Is Russia Shielding Him?
Ironically, Durov—who famously fled Russia after refusing Kremlin demands to hand over user data from VKontakte (Russia’s version of Facebook), which he founded is now benefiting from Moscow’s indirect protection.
There are a few reasons behind this shift:
Telegram is widely used by Russian officials and state media, including for broadcasting propaganda and official government communications. Unlike Western platforms like Twitter or Facebook, Telegram has not been banned or restricted in Russia even during wartime censorship.
Russia sees Telegram as a geopolitical asset, a global platform not controlled by the U.S. or EU, giving it leverages in the information war. Shielding Durov serves this interest.
Durov, though stateless, holds ties to Dubai and reportedly has some protection through Russian back channels, which makes extradition to European countries unlikely.
Despite his past opposition to Vladimir Putin’s regime, Durov has walked a careful line in recent years, avoiding overt criticism of Russia while emphasizing Telegram’s neutrality. This pragmatic approach has allowed Telegram to operate in Russia relatively unchallenged even as the Kremlin cracks down on most other platforms.
The Bigger Battle: Free Speech vs. Control
The case against Durov and Telegram encapsulates a larger global struggle between tech platforms advocating user privacy and governments demanding more control over online content. For Europe, the fight is about sovereignty, regulation, and public safety. For Durov, it’s about defending digital freedom and resisting what he calls “state censorship.”
Whether the French case will hold in court is unclear, but its implications for the future of encrypted platforms and the people behind them are already being felt. As Durov fights the charges and remains under judicial supervision in France, the world watches to see whether Telegram will become the next battleground in the war over internet governance.
