Telegram Fires Back, Exposing How French Authorities Only Recently Started Playing by EU Rules

Telegram founder Pavel Durov pushed back against a media narrative on Thursday, criticizing a French report that claimed his detention last summer led to the app's compliance with European Union laws.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov took to X, formerly Twitter, to slam a report that claimed his detention in France last summer led to the messaging platform’s compliance with European Union laws.

According to a report by French outlet BFMTV, police in France only began following the proper procedures outlined by the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) after Durov’s arrest.

However, Durov argued that Telegram has always adhered to legal obligations within the EU and took issue with the assertion that any regulatory changes came as a result of his time in custody.

“French report claims that my detention led to Telegram's compliance with EU laws. This is a blatant lie, which BFMTV is spreading to shift blame and create a false narrative,” he wrote.

After August, it was the French police who finally started to "comply with European rules" - by sending their requests to Telegram in the legal way described by the EU's Digital Services Act. As a result, French courts have been successfully accessing user information from Telegram to assist criminal investigations.

The information about this legal way to reach us could be obtained on our apps, website or just by googling "telegram eu police" - long before my detainment in France.

I love France and respect its police force, so I didn't want to embarrass anyone by pointing out the above. But I cannot ignore when such obvious misinformation about Telegram is spread.

Durov’s arrest in France had sparked global attention. He was detained on charges including complicity in child exploitation and drug trafficking, stemming from allegations that Telegram had failed to adequately moderate illegal content.

Despite facing a travel ban, a judge later granted temporary permission for Durov to travel. The case has fueled ongoing international debate about the responsibilities of tech platforms.

The Telegram founder added that the app is the second most popular messaging app in the world and that his team spends millions of dollars every year to ensure their compliance with laws across the globe.

“In the EU in particular, we always start preparing to comply with laws years before they even come into force. For example, we began integrating the new AESA requirements in 2021, long before the law came into effect in 2023,” he said.