All the news on Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest

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The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has sparked questions about the messaging app’s future — and the precedent prosecution could set. On August 24th, French authorities took Durov into custody near Paris as part of an “ongoing judicial investigation” into criminal activity on the platform, which is known for its lax moderation policies.

A French judge later charged Durov with enabling illicit transactions, complicity in the distribution of child sexual abuse material, and refusing to cooperate with authorities, among other offenses. Although he has been released under judicial supervision, Durov has been barred from leaving France while the authorities continue their investigation.

If you want to keep up with the news surrounding Durov’s arrest, you can follow along below.

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  Telegram’s CEO has taken a hands-off approach for years — now his luck might have run out

  

  Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

  Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in France on Saturday took the tech world by surprise. The 39-year-old Russian-born billionaire was detained after touching down at an airport outside of Paris in his private plane. And with scant detail available, observers wondered what the unprecedented action meant for free speech, encryption, and the risks of running a platform that could be used for crime. 

  On Monday, French officials revealed that Durov is being questioned as part of a wide-ranging criminal investigation surrounding crimes that regularly happen on Telegram. While some of the accusations could still raise red flags, many seem to concern serious offenses — like child abuse and terrorism — that Durov would reasonably have been aware of. But many questions remain unanswered, including how worried other tech executives should be.

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  Telegram CEO Pavel Durov faces court questioning in France.

  Durov was released from police custody and transferred to court ahead of a possible indictment, reports The Associated Press.

  French authorities arrested Durov Saturday in a preliminary investigation of the relationship between Telegram’s moderation practices and the distribution of CSAM and other criminal content by another unnamed person on the platform.

  
  

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  French prosecutors explain why they arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov.

  While Durov hasn’t been charged, a statement from the French government says his recent arrest is tied to an investigation into a “person unnamed” on charges of being complicit in distributing CSAM, drugs, and hacking tools, along with refusing to cooperate with law enforcement and other crimes.

  Telegram has said its CEO and founder has “nothing to hide.”

  
  

  

  

  Image: Paris Judicial Court

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  French authorities arrest Telegram’s CEO

  

  Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

  Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is reportedly in custody after being arrested near Paris Saturday evening as he was departing his private jet. The billionaire was apprehended on a warrant related to a preliminary investigation, writes Reuters.

  French authorities believe that the platform’s lack of moderation has “allowed criminal activity to go on undeterred on the messaging app.” Durov will go before a judge tonight and could be indicted as early as Sunday, according to sources for TF1 TV (which we read using Google Translate), one of two French outlets cited by Reuters.

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