Pavel Durov, the owner of social media platform Telegram, has been allowed to temporarily leave France where he has been charged over alleged failures in content moderation enabling organised crime.
The Russian-born billionaire was said to have left French territory on March 15 to visit Dubai.
Unnamed sources told French news agency AFP that the investigating judge had accepted his request a few days prior for a modification of judicial control and authorised him to leave France for “several weeks”.
Durov reportedly left Le Bourget airport near Paris shortly after the judge’s ruling and was now in the emirate.
On his own Telegram account, Durov said: “As you may have heard, 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 🇦🇪.
“🙏 I want to thank the investigative judges for letting this happen, as well as my lawyers and team for their relentless efforts in demonstrating that, when it comes to moderation, co-operation and fighting crime, for years Telegram not only met but exceeded its legal obligations.
“🤲 I’m also deeply grateful for the millions of people around the world who have shown their support throughout this unexpected journey — it has meant a lot. There is nothing our billion-strong community can’t overcome 🚀.”
The Telegram boss was arrested on August 24 last year at Le Bourget airport.
French authorities have alleged that Durov’s lack of moderation, failure to co-operate with law enforcement and Telegram’s features such as so-called disposable numbers and cryptocurrency transaction enablement made him complicit in drug trafficking, child exploitation and fraud.
Durov’s arrest sent shockwaves through the tech world, with many fearing that France’s decision to target the businessman was an indication of a coming clampdown on tech company CEOs.
It ignited a heated debate about free speech and the extent to which social media platform owners should be held accountable for user behaviour.
With more than 900 million active users, Telegram is among the most popular messaging apps worldwide.
Pavel Durov, the owner of social media platform Telegram, has criticised French authorities over his arrest in August. https://t.co/a4LqeMMyuS
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) September 6, 2024
One month after his arrest, Telegram updated its terms of service and privacy, indicating that the app was set to provide users’ data to authorities.
The cloud-based mobile and desktop messaging platform may now disclose its users’ IP addresses and phone numbers to the “relevant authorities”.
In France, Telegram claimed to have responded to four legal requests in the first quarter of 2024, compared to 673 for the last quarter. According to Durov, Telegram has issued “credentials concerning more than 10,000 users”.
The Open Network Foundation (TON), a decentralised, open-source blockchain platform initially developed by Telegram, said it was “delighted” with the decision about Durov.
“This news marks a significant moment of resolution. With nearly a billion users worldwide, Telegram represents a global movement committed to the freedom of communication and the inalienable right to privacy,” it said.
“As part of the decentralised TON community, we have stood in solidarity with Pavel, supporting his unwavering dedication to defending the right to free speech and privacy online.”
Le Canard Enchaîné, an investigative satirical newspaper in France, has reported that Pavel Durov, the boss of Telegram, said he was invited to have dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron when the police arrested him. https://t.co/HiHpI7bdJr
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) August 29, 2024
