Telegram CEO barred from departing France amid criminal investigation
Durov was initially detained last Saturday at Le Bourget airport near Paris under a warrant related to offenses connected to the app.
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has been placed under formal investigation in France as part of an inquiry into organized crime activities on the messaging app, according to Paris prosecutors.
The 39-year-old, who is both Russian-born and a French national, has not been detained but is under judicial supervision, which includes a €5 million ($5.6 million; £4.2 million) deposit.
He is also required to report to a French police station twice a week and is prohibited from leaving France.
Durov was initially detained last Saturday at Le Bourget airport near Paris under a warrant related to offenses connected to the app.
The Paris prosecutors' statement outlined the charges against him, which include:
Complicity in managing an online platform that facilitates illegal transaction by organized gangs
Failure to cooperate with authorities
Complicity in the organized distribution of child sexual images
In France, being placed under formal investigation does not imply guilt or guarantee a trial but suggests that judges believe there is sufficient grounds to continue the investigation. Durov has yet to publicly comment on the situation.
Earlier this week, Paris prosecutors indicated that Durov was in custody as part of a cybercrime investigation. Telegram responded by stating that Durov had "nothing to hide." French President Emmanuel Macron has asserted that the decision to detain Durov is not politically motivated.
However, Russia has expressed concerns that the charges might be politically motivated against a major tech company without substantial evidence.
Telegram, known for its end-to-end encryption and founded in 2013, is one of the major social media platforms and is widely used in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet states, as well as in Iran.
The BBC reported that Telegram, which has over 950 million registered users, has consistently refused to participate in international efforts to detect and remove child abuse material online.
The BBC has sought comment from Telegram regarding this refusal.
Durov, who also established VKontakte, a popular Russian social media site, left Russia in 2014 after refusing government demands to close opposition groups on the platform.
He also holds passports from St. Kitts and Nevis and the United Arab Emirates.
Telegram's main office is based in Dubai.
