'Handed over 10,000 users’ data in six months' - Durov’s court interrogation

Tengrinews.kz - Telegram deletes between 15 and 20 million user accounts every month for violating the law. This was stated by the platform's founder, Pavel Durov, during his first interrogation at the court hearings on December 6, 2024, in Paris. Excerpts from the transcript of the session were published by the France Info radio station.

An investigation into Telegram was launched after Pavel Durov was detained by French intelligence services in August. During the interrogations, Durov repeatedly stated that the messaging app he created "did not encourage criminal activities."

"Telegram was not created to become a platform for criminals," Pavel Durov stated before two investigative judges on December 6.

The founder of Telegram, who is accused of complicity in a range of crimes and offenses, was questioned at the courthouse for nearly ten hours. He was represented by three lawyers.

The judge asked questions about illegal content widely disseminated on Telegram, channels selling drugs, stolen banking credentials, the possibility of hiring a hitman, and groups offering child exploitation content. In response, Pavel Durov promised that Telegram intends to "improve moderation procedures."

He also assured that the social network deletes "between 15 and 20 million user accounts for violating the law" globally every month and that Telegram is not the only social network concerned with these issues, pointing to its competitors.

Regarding child pornography, Durov stated that Telegram takes this issue very seriously and removes such content the same day. Durov told the judges that he collaborates with several associations fighting against child exploitation.

"It was during my detention that I realized the seriousness of all these facts," confessed the head of Telegram.

From the moment of Durov's arrest at the end of August until the end of September, Telegram responded to all requests sent by Ofmin (the Office for Child Affairs). The publication estimated that there were around a hundred requests from this agency.

"But this is a small number compared to the number of requests that French law enforcement sends every year, to which Telegram has not yet responded," the publication claims.

Durov explained that in the last six months, Telegram, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, has handed over 10,000 user data records to authorities worldwide, and between 10 and 20 million user accounts are deleted monthly due to law violations.

The judges, however, noted in response that in recent months, criminals have become more active in using Telegram. According to their data, during the first five months of 2024 alone, the gendarmerie opened 535 cases. In total, between 2017 and 2024, the gendarmerie investigated 2,000 cases of crimes committed through or with the assistance of Telegram. The main types of crimes include illegal drug trafficking, distribution of child pornography, fraud, terrorism, and even illegal arms trade.

It is worth recalling that Pavel Durov, who lives in Dubai, has been forced to stay in France since the end of August, as he was released on bail under judicial supervision. On August 28, he was released from custody in Paris on a 5 million euro bond. Durov was prohibited from leaving France and was required to report to the police twice a week.

An additional investigation is underway against the billionaire regarding "serious violence" committed in Paris against one of his sons.