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Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of social media app Telegram, has been allowed to leave France amid an ongoing court case with French authorities. The Russian-born billionaire has reportedly traveled to Dubai leaving the French territory for the first time since his indictment last year.
Telegram Founder Tastes Freedom – Case Resolved?
In August 2024, French law enforcement officers arrested Pavel Durov at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, citing a lack of control measures on Telegram. Within four days, the renowned tech entrepreneur was formally charged with failing to curb illegal activities on Telegram, including terrorism-related content and child pornography materials, despite the platform’s vast user base of over 900 million.
Durov’s arrest sparked a widespread debate among internet users, raising concerns over free speech and the extent to which social media platform owners should be held accountable for user activities. Shortly after his detention, the Telegram CEO was released on a €5 million ($5.6 million) bail but was prohibited from leaving France.
According to a recent report by AFP, a French court has now approved a temporary leave for Durov allowing the defendant to travel to Dubai on March 15. It remains unknown if the Telegram founder has resolved the charges by the Paris’s Prosecutor office but an unnamed source says Durov is allowed to spend some weeks outside of France.
TON Foundation Lauds Pavel’s Freedom
The “temporary” release of the highly revered tech figure has been well-received by the digital community including many crypto enthusiasts. Notably, the Telegram messaging app has ventured boldly into the blockchain space over the past few years. In 2018, Telegram developed The Open Network (TON) blockchain, which it intended to use in launching its own cryptocurrency Gram.
Following regulatory issues with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Telegram’s leadership transferred ownership of TON to an independent community of developers. However, the social media app remains integrated with TON and allows the use of Toncoin for payments as well as hosts several web3 applications.
Commenting on Pavel’s release, the TON Foundation released a statement saying:
This news marks a significant moment of resolution. With nearly a billion users worldwide, Telegram represents a global movement committed to the freedom of communication and the inalienable right to privacy. As part of the decentralized TON community, we have stood in solidarity with Pavel, supporting his unwavering dedication to defending the right to free speech and privacy online.
They further added:
We extend our deepest gratitude to our community, the broader tech industry, and all advocates of free speech who have been vocal in their support of Pavel.
Following news of Durov’s departure from France, Toncoin (TON) surged by 20%, and reached a peak of $3.47 before trading at around $3.46.
Featured image from Le Parisien, chart from Tradingview
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