Telegram CEO Finally Speaks Out Following Arrest

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov publicly addressed his recent ordeal with French authorities for the first time in a post on Telegram dated 6 September.

He revealed that he was detained and questioned by the Paris police for four days, during which time he was accused of potential responsibility for others' misuse of the platform.

Durov firmly refuted these allegations and committed to enhancing the overall user experience of the social network.

He also critiqued the narratives presented by French authorities while recounting the incident.

Following Durov's disclosures, the price of TON has surged by nearly 5%.

Durov Questions Need for Arrest, Emphasizing Multiple Ways to Reach Him

In a public post on his Telegram channel, Durov addressed the recent scrutiny from French authorities, asserting that both he and his company are easily reachable.

He responded to claims of being uncooperative by stating:

"I was told I may be personally responsible for others' illegal use of Telegram, because French authorities didn't receive responses from Telegram."

Durov emphasized that contacting Telegram is straightforward, even suggesting a simple Google search for "Telegram EU address for law enforcement.”

Durov acknowledged growing concerns, stating:

“However, we hear voices saying that it's not enough. Telegram's abrupt increase in user count to 950M caused growing pains that made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform. That's why I made it my personal goal to ensure we significantly improve things in this regard. We’ve already started that process internally, and I will share more details on our progress with you very soon.”

He expressed surprise at the French authorities' actions, noting that both he and Telegram's official EU contact had received no prior warnings about the investigation.

Durov criticised the French government's approach, highlighting that the proper response to dissatisfaction with an internet service should involve legal action against the service itself, not holding its CEO criminally liable for third-party misconduct.

He further argued that using outdated laws to hold tech leaders accountable for the actions of platform users is counterproductive, stating:

“Using laws from the pre-smartphone era to charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform he manages is a misguided approach—building technology is hard enough as it is.”

Durov also mentioned his history of cooperation with French officials, recalling how he helped establish a terrorism hotline with Telegram:

“As a French citizen, I was a frequent guest at the French consulate in Dubai. A while ago, when asked, I personally helped them establish a hotline with Telegram to deal with the threat of terrorism in France.”

Despite this, he was indicted in France, released under judicial supervision, and is required to remain in the country for the time being.

Durov Rejects Accusations of Widespread Criminal Use on Telegram

Durov firmly rejected the notion that Telegram is overrun with criminal activity, countering media portrayals of the platform as a lawless haven.

He claimed:

“The claims in some media that Telegram is some sort of anarchic paradise are absolutely untrue. We take down millions of harmful posts and channels every day.”

However, he acknowledged the significant scale of the issue, noting the ongoing challenge of managing such a vast platform effectively.

Telegram Always Prepared to Leave Incompatible Markets

According to a press release from French authorities last week, an official investigation into the matter began in early July.

Additionally, a previous report from Politico indicated that authorities are also seeking an arrest warrant for Nikolai Durov, brother of Pavel Durov.

Durov added:

“Sometimes we can't agree with a country's regulator on the right balance between privacy and security. In those cases, we are ready to leave that country. We've done it many times. When Russia demanded we hand over "encryption keys" to enable surveillance, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Russia.”

He explained:

“When Iran demanded we block channels of peaceful protesters, we refused — and Telegram got banned in Iran. We are prepared to leave markets that aren't compatible with our principles, because we are not doing this for money. We are driven by the intention to bring good and defend the basic rights of people, particularly in places where these rights are violated.”

Toncoin Gets a Boost After Durov's Release

Toncoin's (TON) price surged following a recent statement by Durov.

According to CoinMarketCap, the asset is now trading at $4.83, marking a nearly 5% increase in the last 24 hours, defying broader market trends as most cryptocurrencies remain in decline.

While Bitcoin and other major assets have seen drops of around 3% over the same period, TON's rally stands out amidst the overall market downturn.