Telegram CEO Pavel Durov stated he is prepared to withdraw from markets where the company’s principles conflict with regulatory demands.
In a message on Telegram, Durov cited Russia and Iran as examples of countries where Telegram has previously pulled out due to disagreements with regulators over privacy and security issues.
“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,” Durov wrote. He added that Telegram is driven by a mission to uphold basic rights, particularly in regions where such rights are under threat.
Durov’s comments come after his recent arrest at a Paris airport and subsequent indictment by a French court on charges of “complicity in the spread of sexual images of children and other crimes such as drug trafficking” via Telegram’s encrypted services. The arrest is part of a broader investigation into cybercrime activities allegedly facilitated by the messaging app.
Following the arrest, Durov was released under “judicial supervision,” which mandates that he remain in France.
Telegram, which has a massive portion of its revenues tied to cryptocurrency activities, held $400 million in digital assets in 2023, according to a report from the Financial Times. Durov has previously claimed that Telegram is valued at over $30 billion.
Separately, Telegram has modified its stance on content moderation nearly two weeks after French authorities arrested its CEO.
On September 6, Telegram’s FAQ page removed language stating: “All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We do not process any requests related to them.” Previously, this line was part of the app’s response to both questions on illegal content and copyright infringement, but it now only appears in the latter.
The updated response regarding illegal content directs users to use the “report” button to flag such content for moderation.
The revision follows Durov’s first public statement on September 5 since his arrest in August. He acknowledged the need for improved content moderation, citing an increase in users to 950 million as a factor that “made it easier for criminals to abuse our platform.”
This marks a shift in Telegram’s tone from an earlier statement following Durov’s arrest, where the company defended its CEO, asserting he had “nothing to hide” and dismissing claims that the platform or its owner could be held responsible for user misconduct as “absurd.”
