Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has publicly responded for the first time to accusations levelled against him by French authorities following his arrest last month.
The Russian billionaire, who founded the popular social media app Telegram with 950 million users worldwide, was detained at a French airport upon arrival for a dinner invitation from President Emmanuel Macron.
In a statement posted on his Telegram channel, Mr Durov addressed the ongoing controversy which has now stretched into its second week.
He acknowledged the challenges Telegram faces in moderating content but emphasised that the platform already has a European Union compliance officer to ensure adherence to EU laws.
Mr Durov criticised the approach of holding tech founders accountable for users’ actions, describing it as misguided.
He also expressed frustration over how he was handled by French authorities, suggesting that better alternatives were available.
“Thank you, everyone, for your support and love,” Durov wrote.
“Last month, I was interviewed by police for four days after arriving in Paris.
“I was told I might be personally responsible for others’ illegal use of Telegram because the French authorities hadn’t received responses from Telegram.”
“Thanks everyone for your support and love!
“Last month I got interviewed by police for 4 days after arriving in Paris. I was told I may be personally responsible for other people’s illegal use of Telegram because the French authorities didn’t receive responses from Telegram, he added.