The Large Story 

The detention and indictment of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has introduced the controversy over on-line privateness and free speech into the highlight, with some questioning if the arrest is a sign of what is to come back for U.S. tech companies and their leaders.

© AP Picture/Matt Slocum

Durov, a twin citizen of France and Russia, faces a whole of six expenses, in response to a translated model of the Paris prosecutor’s workplace assertion.

The Telegram CEO is accused of “complicity” within the distribution of kid sexual abuse supplies, illicit transactions, cash laundering and drug trafficking allegedly going down on the messaging app.

He spent days in police custody for questioning and was launched Wednesday morning forward of his court docket look, the place he was formally indicted. He was launched from custody and positioned below judicial supervision after posting $5.5 million for bail.

The arrest adopted a judicial investigation opened final month into an unnamed particular person suspected of “complicity” in unlawful transactions, possession and distribution of kid sexual abuse supplies, possession and sale of narcotics, and arranged fraud, amongst different expenses. 

Critics of Durov’s arrest linked it to issues over free speech and the privateness of customers’ content material.  

Tech billionaire Elon Musk — who throttled content material moderation on X after buying the social media platform in 2022 — voiced his help for Pavel this week. Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski additionally claimed France “crossed a purple line” by arresting Durov for not censoring free speech. 

Telegram can’t be straight in comparison with many U.S. social media platforms because of variations in safety protocols, specialists mentioned.

Even so, Durov’s arrest nonetheless raises potential issues for U.S. tech corporations working overseas as European international locations ramp up rules. 

“I feel it’s definitely of concern to U.S. tech corporations, U.S. founders, anyone excited about beginning a tech enterprise in France,” Will Duffield, an adjunct fellow on the Cato Institute, a libertarian assume tank, instructed The Hill. 

“The dearth of course of right here, or seeming lack of course of, needs to be most regarding.” 

The Hill’s Miranda Nazzaro has more here. 

Welcome to The Hill’s Expertise e-newsletter, I am  Julia Shapero — monitoring the newest strikes from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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