Telegram CEO paid ’millions’ for release out of French jail | LBC analysis

The founder of Telegram has been charged by French prosecutors with allowing criminal activity on the encrypted social media app. Pavel Durov, 39, has been barred from leaving France as investigators continue to look into his case. He has avoided jail by paying €5 million (£4.2 million) in bail. Durov, who is originally from Russia but has French citizenship, was originally arrested at Paris-Le Bourget airport on Saturday evening after arriving in France from Azerbaijan. Telegram is favoured by many because of its commitment to privacy - but that also makes it useful for people who want to conceal criminal activity. The French government has been accused of arresting the tech tycoon for “political” reasons, including by the Kremlin. James O’Brien is joined by LBC’s tech correspondent Will Guyatt to break the story down. Listen to the full show on Global Player: #JamesOBrien #PavelDurov #Telegram #News #Politics #LBC LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: