Telegram CEO Pavel Durov responds to French charges in first public statement

"Using laws from the pre-smartphone era is a misguided approach," Durov asserts as he defends his platform.

Telegram's founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, recently broke his silence with a strong rebuttal against French judicial charges, defending his and his platform's position amidst allegations of enabling criminal activities. 

In a post shared on Telegram, Durov addressed his recent detainment by French authorities at Le Bourget airport, and his ongoing legal struggles since being released on a 5 million euros bail.

Durov critiqued the application of outdated laws to modern technology, emphasizing the challenges tech innovators face when their creations are misused by others. 

"Building technology is hard enough as it is. No innovator will ever build new tools if they know they can be personally held responsible for potential abuse of those tools," he stated, defending his leadership and the integrity of Telegram amidst rising user numbers and associated "growing pains."

Further detailing his interactions with the French legal system, Durov shared that while in detention, he was informed of his personal accountability for illegal activities conducted via Telegram. 

He found this surprising, especially since Telegram has appointed an official representative in the European Union to handle such requests, with clear communication channels established for EU authorities.

Durov also recalled his previous cooperation with French officials to combat terrorism, highlighting his efforts to maintain a responsive dialogue with governments regarding their concerns. 

He concluded by pointing out the normative procedure of addressing issues with internet services through legal actions against the service itself, not individuals.