Vikrant Shekhawat : Aug 29, 2024, 08:51 AM
Pavel Durov: French prosecutors on Wednesday released Pavel Durov, the head of the social media platform 'Telegram', from police custody after four days of questioning. The purpose of this interrogation was to investigate the alleged illegal use of 'Telegram'. Durov was detained last month at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris. He was placed under judicial investigation in connection with 12 alleged crimes.Pavel Durov's citizenship and arrestPavel Durov, 39, has dual citizenship of France and Russia. At the time of his arrest, he was coming to France from Azerbaijan. Durov is accused of using 'Telegram' to promote child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, fraud and transactions related to organized crime. This investigation against him continues in France, and the Paris prosecutor's office has confirmed that Durov's police custody has been terminated. Now he will be produced in court for a possible trial.Role of IT Ministry in IndiaAfter Durov's arrest, India's IT Ministry has sought information from the Home Ministry. The ministry has said that it will investigate pending complaints against Telegram and look into possible action. However, there was no immediate response to the e-mail sent by the IT Ministry. It is important to note that the IT Ministry is not in the role of an investigating agency in these types of cases. CERT-In, formed under the ministry, also focuses only on cyber security crimes, not general cyber crimes.Possible impact and further actionAfter Durov's arrest and release, many questions are being raised about what impact this action of France will have on global social media policies and security protocols. This case may give rise to a new debate on the responsibility of platforms like 'Telegram' and the requirements to control negative use by them.This development has once again brought to the fore the need to review the responsibility and security measures of global tech companies. In the future, it will be important to explore the role of regulatory institutions in such cases and effective measures so that these platforms can be used for the good of the society.