Russian-born Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was released from custody but banned from leaving the country by French prosecutors.
According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 28th (local time), Durov was indicted on a wide range of charges related to aiding and abetting criminal activities in France and banned from leaving the country.
Durov was ordered to pay 5 million euros in bail, prosecutor Lor Beccuo said in a statement. Even if he is released from custody, Durov must appear at the police station twice a week.
“Telegram has played a role in many cases related to child sexual abuse, drug trafficking and online hate crimes in France, but it has “almost never responded” to the investigation agency’s request for cooperation,” prosecutor Becuo said. “The legal authorities in Belgium and other European countries shared the same experience,” he said. “In February, the organized crime prosecution opened an investigation into potential criminal responsibility of messaging platform executives.” According to the New York Times, Telegram did not respond to requests for information from French authorities, who were investigating child sexual abuse data.
Prosecutor Bekuo said Durov could face up to 10 years in prison if he is finally charged.
Durov’s prosecution deepened the debate over ‘freedom of expression on the Internet’ and ‘the responsibility of platform companies to monitor user activities’. In particular, the EU (European Union) is putting pressure on platform companies to address the spread of child safety, terrorism, false information and other harmful content.
People such as Elon Musk, CEO of X who supports free speech, have expressed opposition to regulators and policymakers. On the 26th, French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed criticism that Durov’s arrest is a type of government censorship, stressing that “freedom is protected within the legal framework in a legalistic country.”
There are many perspectives among experts on Durov’s arrest. “Durov’s indictment could be an opportunity to focus on censoring sites to ensure that other SNS and Internet platforms do not violate the law,” said Danielle Lyons, professor of internet regulation law at Boston College Law School. “Authoritarian countries can use this as an example to attack platform operators,” said David Kaye, former head of the U.N. Free Speech Authority. “The question is whether this is a big issue signaling a new era of government restrictions on online expression and pressure on platforms.”
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
