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Unless you have been completely disconnected for the last 7 days, you probably already know that on Saturday evening, Pavel Durov, the boss of Telegram was arrested on the tarmac of Le Bourget airport, as he was getting off his private jet. The reasons for this arrest are known, since, as we mentioned in a previous article, the public prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, has already revealed the details of the facts that the billionaire is accused of. On Wednesday, he was indicted and placed under judicial supervision.
But Telegram could also be in trouble at the European level, according to a recent report in the Financial Times. According to the newspaper, an investigation is underway in Brussels to determine whether Telegram has broken EU rules by not disclosing the number of users it has in the European Union. In February, Telegram reportedly said it had 41 million users in the EU. And this August, it reportedly said it had only “significantly fewer than 45 million average monthly active users in the EU.”
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The reason this number is significant is that if Telegram, which has over 900 million users worldwide, were to exceed 45 million users in the EU, it would be included in the list of services covered by the Digital Services Act, according to the Financial Times. The technical investigation, which consists of calculating the exact number of Telegram users in the EU, would be conducted by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission. Following this investigation, Brussels could consider Telegram a “very large online platform.” As a reminder, the Digital Services Act provides for stricter rules and obligations for companies that have this designation.
“The Digital Services Act regulates online intermediaries and platforms such as marketplaces, social networks, content sharing platforms, app stores, and online travel and accommodation platforms. Its main objective is to prevent illegal and harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation. It ensures user safety, protects fundamental rights and creates a fair and open environment for online platforms”, can be read on the European Commission website.
- An investigation is reportedly being opened in Brussels to determine the exact number of Telegram users in the European Union
- Indeed, if the app exceeds 45 million users in the EU, it could be subject to the stricter rules of the Digital Services Act
- The investigation would be conducted by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission
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