Don't Be Deceived: France is Not a Free Country, Says Telegram Founder

The French police are conducting a search at the Paris office of the X social network. Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, announced this on his X account, stating that France controls all social networks.

"The French police are conducting a search at X's Paris office. France is the only country in the world that persecutes all social networks that offer people certain freedoms," Durov wrote.

"Don't be deceived: this is not a free country," he added.

The Paris prosecutor's office had previously reported on the searches at the French office of the X social network as part of an investigation that began in January 2025. The search is being conducted by the prosecutor's unit for combating cybercrime, and Europol is also involved.

The prosecutor's office has summoned Elon Musk (owner of X) for questioning on April 20, 2026.