Durov accused France of persecuting freedom of speech

The founder of the Telegram messenger Pavel Durov accused the French authorities of crusades against freedom of speech and technological progress, he wrote about this on the social network X.

The businessman stated that this will cause economic damage to France for decades. According to him, using criminal cases instead of clear rules for regulating internet companies will deter investments.

"Several prosecutors, driven by career ambitions or political motives, are jeopardizing the country's future by initiating criminal investigations on issues that can (and should) be resolved through clear regulation and cooperation with technology industry leaders," Durov emphasized.

Recall that the entrepreneur was detained at Paris Le Bourget airport in August 2024. He was placed under arrest for several days, and then released on bail of €5 million and the obligation to check in with the police twice a week. Later he left the country and went to Dubai.