EU distances itself from the arrest of Durov
According to RIA Novosti, the European Commission characterized the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France as an “individual case.” Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, was detained in France amid allegations of inadequate moderation on the platform.
The European Commission (EC) has chosen not to comment on Durov's arrest, referring to it as an “individual case” and suggested consulting Paris for further details, according to RIA Novosti on Monday.
Durov, a Russian tech entrepreneur and citizen of France, the UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, was apprehended at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday upon his arrival from Azerbaijan via private jet. French media reports indicate that prosecutors in Paris plan to charge the 39-year-old with complicity in drug trafficking, offenses related to pedophilia, fraud, and failing to address criminal activity occurring on the messaging platform. French authorities are expected to issue an official statement on Monday.
“The European Commission does not comment on individual cases or ongoing investigations. This is a question for the relevant member state,” an EU representative was reported as saying to RIA when the outlet sought an official response.
Additionally, an EC spokesperson clarified to Euronews that Durov’s arrest is unrelated to Telegram’s responsibilities under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This regulation, effective since earlier this year, imposes stringent requirements on 'Very Large Online Platforms'—those with over 45 million monthly users—regarding data protection and advertising protocols.
“Criminal prosecution is not among the potential sanctions for a breach of the DSA,” the spokesperson explained, noting that “the DSA does not define what is illegal nor does it establish any criminal offence and can therefore not be invoked for arrests. Only national [or international] laws that define a criminal offence can be invoked.”
Telegram, which operates out of Dubai, reports having 41 million monthly users in the EU. However, in May, EC Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova mentioned to Bloomberg that the platform is a “special case” and would undergo investigation, potentially leading to its inclusion on an official list.
Jourova has accused Telegram of facilitating the dissemination of Russian “disinformation,” labeling it as an “issue,” particularly because the platform is “especially active in the eastern member states where we have a Russian-speaking minority.”
Durov has maintained that Telegram prioritizes user privacy and freedom of expression. In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson earlier this year, he stated he had turned down requests from the U.S. government to share user data or to implement surveillance “backdoors” within the app.
The arrest has sparked significant reactions, including remarks from U.S. tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has called for Durov’s release, asserting that free speech in Europe is being threatened. Chris Pavlovski, CEO of video-sharing platform Rumble, criticized France for crossing “all boundaries” by arresting Durov and indicated that he departed Europe following the incident.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The European Commission (EC) has chosen not to comment on Durov's arrest, referring to it as an “individual case” and suggested consulting Paris for further details, according to RIA Novosti on Monday.
Durov, a Russian tech entrepreneur and citizen of France, the UAE, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, was apprehended at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday upon his arrival from Azerbaijan via private jet. French media reports indicate that prosecutors in Paris plan to charge the 39-year-old with complicity in drug trafficking, offenses related to pedophilia, fraud, and failing to address criminal activity occurring on the messaging platform. French authorities are expected to issue an official statement on Monday.
“The European Commission does not comment on individual cases or ongoing investigations. This is a question for the relevant member state,” an EU representative was reported as saying to RIA when the outlet sought an official response.
Additionally, an EC spokesperson clarified to Euronews that Durov’s arrest is unrelated to Telegram’s responsibilities under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This regulation, effective since earlier this year, imposes stringent requirements on 'Very Large Online Platforms'—those with over 45 million monthly users—regarding data protection and advertising protocols.
“Criminal prosecution is not among the potential sanctions for a breach of the DSA,” the spokesperson explained, noting that “the DSA does not define what is illegal nor does it establish any criminal offence and can therefore not be invoked for arrests. Only national [or international] laws that define a criminal offence can be invoked.”
Telegram, which operates out of Dubai, reports having 41 million monthly users in the EU. However, in May, EC Vice President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova mentioned to Bloomberg that the platform is a “special case” and would undergo investigation, potentially leading to its inclusion on an official list.
Jourova has accused Telegram of facilitating the dissemination of Russian “disinformation,” labeling it as an “issue,” particularly because the platform is “especially active in the eastern member states where we have a Russian-speaking minority.”
Durov has maintained that Telegram prioritizes user privacy and freedom of expression. In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson earlier this year, he stated he had turned down requests from the U.S. government to share user data or to implement surveillance “backdoors” within the app.
The arrest has sparked significant reactions, including remarks from U.S. tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has called for Durov’s release, asserting that free speech in Europe is being threatened. Chris Pavlovski, CEO of video-sharing platform Rumble, criticized France for crossing “all boundaries” by arresting Durov and indicated that he departed Europe following the incident.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
