Telegram Founder Charged With Several Serious Crimes in France

Pavel Durov, laminitis of the messaging level Telegram, was charged successful France connected Wednesday for allegedly enabling a wide assortment of crimes from cause trafficking to the organisation of kid intersexual maltreatment materials.

The property merchandise issued by prosecutors successful France connected Wednesday listed crimes that see “distributing images of minors presenting a pedo pornographic nature” arsenic good arsenic “organized fraud,” and “association with criminals to perpetrate crimes oregon offenses,” according to an English connection translation.

The 39-year-old Durov founded Telegram successful Russia successful 2013 but moved to the UAE successful 2014. Durov holds citizenship successful France, the UAE, and the Caribbean countries of St. Kitts and Nevis, according to the Associated Press.

Telegram responded to the quality of charges perchance being pressed against Durov earlier Wednesday by calling it “absurd” that the laminitis would beryllium held liable for the actions of others connected the platform.

“It is absurd to assertion that a level oregon its proprietor are liable for maltreatment of that platform,” Telegram wrote. “Almost a cardinal users globally usage Telegram arsenic means of connection and arsenic a root of captious information. We’re awaiting a punctual solution of this situation. Telegram is with you all.”

Durov reportedly paid bail of  €5 million, oregon astir $5.5 cardinal dollars, according to the New York Times, and volition beryllium required to cheque successful astatine a section constabulary presumption doubly a week. He faces 10 years successful situation if convicted.

The lawsuit is being watched intimately wrong the tech community, fixed the information that it’s the archetypal clip the caput of a large societal media web is personally being held liable for contented connected his platform.