“The investigative magistrates in charge of this preliminary judicial investigation have requested a co-referral of the Centre for the Fight against Cybercrime (Centre de lutte contre les criminalités numériques, C3N) and the Anti-Fraud National Office (Office National Anti-Fraude, ONAF) for the pursuance of the investigations,” stated the prosecutor’s office.
Durov’s custody period was extended until August 28. And now investigators are indicating that they will head straight to court.
European Digital Regulation and Free Speech
While the charges against Durov are serious, many observers believe that there may be more to this story than meets the eye. The arrest of Durov comes at a time when Europe is ramping up its efforts to regulate digital platforms and curb what it considers harmful content.
In 2020, France attempted to impose stricter controls on hate speech, although much of the law was blocked by the country’s top court. However, the European Parliament stepped in with the Digital Services Act (DSA), a sweeping regulation that compels online platforms to curb harmful content, including hate speech, disinformation, and propaganda.
