French authorities have lifted the travel ban that had confined Telegram founder Pavel Durov to France for more than a year.
The restriction, imposed after his arrest in Paris last August, had prevented him from leaving the country while prosecutors pursued charges tied not to his own actions but to what users on his platform were allegedly doing.
The order, signed on Monday, and reported by Bloomberg, also cancels the obligation for Durov to report regularly to a local police station.
The decision restores his freedom of movement, though the investigation into Telegram itself continues.
Prosecutors have not clarified why the head of a communications service is being held legally responsible for user activity, an approach that raises questions about how far governments are willing to go in policing online speech.
According to France’s Prosecutor’s Office, Durov faces preliminary charges for “facilitating a platform that enables illicit transactions.”
If convicted, he could face up to ten years in prison and a fine of roughly $550,000.
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