The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) said today that it has charged the co-founder of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, with aiding and abetting terrorist activity.
Durov has yet to comment on the charges, but has previously described the case against him as a fabricated pretext to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram as part of an effort to suppress privacy and freedom of speech.
Here’s a summary of what is known about Durov and Telegram:
The 41-year-old Russian-born Durov Russia, is the founder and owner of the free messaging app that competes globally with platforms such as Meta“s WhatsApp.
According to the company, Telegram has over 1 billion users. The app has become a key source of information about Russia's war in Ukraine and is widely used by officials in both Moscow and Kiev. For this reason, some analysts have described it as a “virtual battlefield“ of the conflict.
Durov, whose fortune is estimated by “Forbes“ at $6.6 billion, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with the government's demand to close opposition communities on the social network VKontakte, which he later sold.
Four years later, in 2018, Russia began blocking Telegram after the app's operators refused to comply with a court order order to give state security services access to users' encrypted messages.
However, the measure did not significantly affect Telegram's availability in the country, but it did spark mass protests in Moscow and criticism from non-governmental organizations.
After leaving Russia, Durov acquired French and Emirati citizenship. In 2017, he settled in Dubai and moved Telegram's operations there.
This year, Russia has stepped up pressure on the app, introducing additional restrictions and continuing criminal proceedings against Durov.
For its part, the company “Telegram“ accused Russian authorities of using false pretexts to justify the ban on the app and force Russians to use the new, state-backed messaging app MAKS.
As Telegram's popularity has grown, it has come under increasing scrutiny worldwide. For example, France is investigating allegations that the platform does not effectively counter criminal activity.
In addition, authorities in other countries have also expressed concerns about illegal content on the app. Telegram denies any wrongdoing.
Translated from English: Elena Indjeva, BTA