Pavel Durov, the founder of messaging app Telegram, has been allowed to temporarily leave France after being barred from leaving the country while under investigation.
Durov, 40, was detained near Paris last August and charged with crimes related to illicit activity on the platform. He faces a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison for complicity in crimes such as child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, and fraud.
The French case has sparked an international debate about freedom of speech online and tech companies’ responsibility to police user-generated content. Telegram’s sparse oversight of user-generated content has made it popular among people living under authoritarian governments, but also allowed hateful rhetoric and harmful content to spread.
Durov has criticized French authorities for the arrest, saying he cannot be held personally responsible for what users post on Telegram. However, the company has made several changes since August to more aggressively police its platform and cooperate with law enforcement agencies.
In March, investigative judges lifted travel restrictions between March 15 and April 7, when Durov must return to France. Durov returned to Dubai after spending several months in France and expressed relief at being able to leave the country temporarily.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/17/world/europe/pavel-durov-france-telegram-founder.html