Alleging illegal content, France charges Telegram boss; Russia gives warning

FILE - Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 23, 2016. This handout photograph posted on the official Telegram channel of the Vice Speaker of the State Duma Andrei Davankov, Aug. 25, 2024, shows party supporters displaying paper planes outside France's Embassy in Moscow, in support of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram.

Russia on Thursday warned France not to turn the investigation of Pavel Durov, the boss of Telegram, into a “political persecution” after the billionaire 39-year-old CEO was put under formal investigation relating to activities on his social media platform.