The surprise arrest of the Russian-born co-founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, after he stepped off his private jet in Paris last Saturday night, has brought the one-time fringe social network under the glare of the spotlight like never before.
At the heart of French authorities’ case against the Russian-born billionaire is an enormously consequential question: are online platforms legally responsible for the speech of their users?
The arrest of Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, as part of an investigation into illicit activities on the messaging app set off worries about the personal liability of tech executives.
The charges are extensive and serious, covering Telegram’s complicity in the distribution of child sexual-abuse material (CSAM), drug trafficking and money laundering.
