Key takeaways
- Russian hackers reportedly targeted French government websites in response to Pavel Durov’s arrest.
- President Macron says Telegram CEO’s arrest was not politically motivated.
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The Paris prosecutor’s office has issued a press release detailing the official charges against Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. The judicial investigation, opened on July 8, 2024 following a preliminary investigation by the Cybercrime Brigade (JUNALCO), lists multiple serious accusations against an unidentified individual, Pavel Durov, arrested this weekend, who is accused of complicity in these activities via the Telegram platform.
The charges include complicity in operating an online platform that enables illegal transactions within an organized group; refusing to provide information necessary for lawful interceptions; complicity in the possession and distribution of child pornography within an organized group; providing tools for illegal access to automated data processing systems and conspiracy to commit crimes; complicity in drug trafficking, organized fraud and money laundering related to organized crime.
Durov was also accused of providing “cryptology” services without proper certification, as well as “importing cryptology tools” without prior declaration.
The prosecutor’s office also said that Durov’s custody, which began on August 24, could last up to 96 hours until August 28, taking into account the procedure applicable to organized crime offences.
Telegram responded to the accusations in a statement, saying it complies with European Union laws and dismissing the allegations as baseless. The company stressed that Durov had “nothing to hide” and criticized the idea that the platform or its founder should be held responsible for possible misuse by some users.
The arrest and subsequent charges have sparked reactions from all sides. Tech executives and privacy advocates have expressed concern about the implications of the event for digital communications platforms and user privacy, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for how governments might target tech executives in the future, raising fears of abuse. However, Telegram critics have also argued that the platform’s minimal moderation approach has enabled various illegal activities.
Macron: Durov’s arrest was “not political”
French President Emmanuel Macron has found himself on the defensive in the face of growing reactions to Durov’s arrest. In a statement released on August 26, Macron attempted to calm growing international concern by asserting that Durov’s arrest was not politically motivated. The French leader stressed his country’s commitment to freedom of speech and expression, insisting that the case would be handled by France’s independent judicial system.
Macron’s remarks, however, were not enough to stem the tide of criticism. The crypto community and free speech activists rallied to Durov’s defense. Gabor Gurbacs, former director of digital asset strategy at VanEck, questioned the French approach:
“You stop the guy and see if he did anything wrong? Is this ‘rule of law’ and ‘freedom of speech’ you’re talking about?”
The chorus of voices calling for Durov’s release has grown louder, with industry names such as Elon Musk adding his voice to the growing protest, posting a #FreePavel video on X. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has also raised concerns over the issue.
“I have criticized Telegram before for not being serious about encryption, but based on the information available so far, it seems that the accusation is simply about not moderating the app and not disclosing user data. This looks very bad and worrying for the future of software and communications freedom in Europe,” Buterin said on X, in response to a post by Balaji Srinivasan.
French government websites attacked
On August 26, reports began circulating that several key French government websites had been taken offline following what appeared to be a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. The Paris Administrative Court, the official website of the French Ministry of Health, and the website of the Court of Cassation were among the sites affected. Visitors to these sites were warned of unsecured connections, leading many to speculate about the scale and origin of the attack.
Early reports from Entropia Intel suggested that the attacks were likely a response to Durov’s arrest on August 24 at Le Bourget airport near Paris. The timing and targets of the cyberattack appear to support this theory, with Russian hackers or “hacktivist” groups being named as potential culprits.
At the time of writing, Crypto Briefing has not been able to independently verify these claims, although they have been reported by at least one other crypto publication.
Durov, who rose to prominence as the founder of Russia’s largest social media platform VK, has consistently resisted government pressure over access to user data. He founded Telegram in 2013 as a platform committed to free speech and privacy, making it popular with crypto enthusiasts and privacy-conscious users around the world.
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