Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram, no longer has to stay in France. A source told AFP that the investigating judge in charge of Durov’s case has accepted a request to modify the conditions of his supervision.
“As you may have heard, I’ve returned to Dubai after spending several months in France due to an investigation related to the activity of criminals on Telegram,” Durov wrote on Monday in a message posted to his Telegram channel. “The process is ongoing, but it feels great to be home.”
Durov was arrested on August 24, 2024, after he stepped off a private jet at France’s Le Bourget Airport. He spent four days in police custody — leading to widespread coverage of his arrest.
Shortly afterward, the Paris criminal court, which is in charge of the investigation, explained the reasons for his arrest. Most of the charges revolve around the Telegram founder allegedly being complicit in facilitating organized fraud, illegal transactions, and the sharing of CSAM (child sexual abuse material) on the messaging and social platform.
At the time, Durov agreed to pay a €5 million bail ($5.5 million at current exchange rates) and to check in at a police station twice a week. He was also barred from leaving France during the investigation. But those conditions appear to have been modified now — enabling him to leave the country legally.
The Paris court did not release a statement regarding the reasons for changes to Durov’s supervision conditions.
A few days after his arrest, Telegram updated its website — and its FAQ in particular — to explicitly allow users to report private chats to its moderators. Before the arrest, the company had said in its FAQ that it “[did] not process any requests related to [moderating chats and group chats].”
Following this change in the FAQ wording, Telegram removed millions of groups and channels. While Telegram already blocked groups and channels, there was an increase in moderation activity, as the company’s moderation overview page exemplifies.
In further remarks on Durov’s channel announcing his arrival in Dubai, the Telegram CEO wrote: “I want to thank the investigative judges for letting this happen, as well as my lawyers and team for their relentless efforts in demonstrating that, when it comes to moderation, cooperation, and fighting crime, for years Telegram not only met but exceeded its legal obligations.”
Durov isn’t out of the woods just yet. Despite his cooperation, the investigation remains ongoing and it could still lead to a criminal trial in France. On the plus side, at least Durov — who moved to Dubai in 2017 in part for its tax-free zone — won’t have to file his 2025 taxes in France.
