Democracy in Danger in Western Europe : Telegram slams accusations against its owner as absurd

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” it stressed

The Telegram messenger team has slammed attempts to hold the platform or its owner responsible for alleged “abuse of that platform” as absurd.

“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act — its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving,” it said on the Telegram News channel. “Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe.”

“It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform,” it stressed.

“Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation,” it added.

Durov was detained at Paris’ Le Bourget Airport late on August 24. According to the TF1television channel, Durov might be charged with terrorism, drug trafficking, fraud, money laundering and child pornography. On Sunday, the Paris prosecutor’s office promised to make a statement on the matter on August 26.