Telegram case file:
Balance of power between legal and illicit
A major shift occurred this summer. In the fight against illegal and criminal content, Brazil first struck a major blow (total ban of the X network on its soil for complicity in a plot against democracy through support for subversive actions), the decision of which was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Brasilia.
Then in Paris with the arrest of the boss of Telegram at the end of August, is a decisive step in this fight. This file provides your curiosity with six angles to understand.
The case is major: will the French justice system, armed with national and EU laws, led by the DSA, succeed in making this messaging service responsible for its content? Let’s first look at the true face of Telegram with Alexis Roussel. Then the tools of the authorities: foundations of European and French laws on the cooperation of networks with the authorities? Read the texts by Jean-Pierre Spitzer, Colette Bouckaert, and Benjamin Martin-Tardivat. Finally, how can we understand the Franco-Russian geopolitical tension generated by these legal proceedings launched against Pavel Durov? The eminent geo-political scientist Michel Foucher answers this question.
Just as Europeans are not going to liberalize the civilian firearms market, they are also not subject to the First Amendment to the US Constitution. This amendment, one of the ten amendments adopted in 1791 and collectively known as the Bill of Rights, broke with the more restrictive English colonial regulations on public speech, where common law criminalized criticism of the government as seditious libel.
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram and a French citizen, was arrested at Le Bourget airport on Saturday, August 24, 2024, and subsequently indicted for at least ten offenses cited in the introductory indictment by French investigating judges.
The indictment of Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, has sparked a lively debate in France and beyond. This event marks a significant step in how French authorities approach the regulation of digital giants. But what laws enabled this indictment, and what are the broader implications?
Since August 24, the case of Pavel Durov, head of Telegram, has garnered significant attention. Many are decrying the situation as a dictatorship, claiming that neither Telegram nor Pavel Durov violated the law. Let’s explore the facts.
The arrest of Pavel Durov is for any media outlet in France an unexpected opportunity to move from the main subject that can make the news in August, the weather, to a case that can be a milestone in history – by arousing global interest, as in the case of the CEO of Telegram.
Telegram is a messaging service launched in 2013 by Pavel Durov. Starting with 100,000 users in its first year, Telegram now has 950 million monthly active users. In 10 years, Telegram has grown into a giant in terms of its user base.