Telegram CEO Charged in France for Crimes Committed on His App

Pavel Durov, the chief executive officer of Telegram, was charged in France for complicity in the spread of sexual images of children and other crimes, in a rare example of a tech leader being held liable for the way their platform is used.

The case against Durov paints a picture of a platform almost entirely uncooperative with authorities and includes allegations he refused to help agencies run legal wiretaps on suspects, Paris prosecutors said in a statement late Wednesday. He faces further accusations of enabling organized criminals to carry out unlawful transactions on the platform.