July 29 (Reuters) – Russia’s security service said on Wednesday that it had charged Pavel Durov, founder of the Telegram messaging app, with facilitating terrorist activities.
Durov did not immediately comment, but has previously described the case against him as a fabricated pretext to restrict Russians’ access to Telegram as part of efforts to suppress the right to privacy and free speech.
Following is a summary of what is known about Durov and Telegram:
• Russian-born Durov, 41, is the founder and owner of the free-to-use messaging app that competes globally with platforms such as Meta’s WhatsApp.
• Telegram says it has more than 1 billion users. It has become a critical source of information on Russia’s war in Ukraine and is used widely by both Moscow and Kyiv officials. Some analysts have called the app “a virtual battlefield” for the conflict.
• Durov, whose fortune is estimated by Forbes at $6.6 billion, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte social media platform, which he sold.
• Russia began blocking Telegram in 2018 after the app’s operators refused to comply with a court order to grant state security services access to its users’ encrypted messages.
• The action had little effect on the availability of Telegram there, but it sparked mass protests in Moscow and criticism from NGOs.
• Since leaving Russia, Durov has acquired French and Emirati citizenship. He moved himself and Telegram to Dubai in 2017.
• Russia has stepped up its efforts to curb Telegram this year, introducing further restrictions and pursuing the criminal case against Durov.
• Telegram has accused Russian authorities of using false pretexts to justify outlawing the app and pressure Russians to use the new state-backed messenger app MAX.
• Telegram’s popularity has seen it come under increasing scrutiny globally. France is investigating the platform’s alleged failure to adequately counter criminal activity. Authorities in other countries have also raised concerns about illicit content. Telegram denies wrongdoing.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by David Holmes)
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