Durov: French Telegram Probe Stalled; Coinbase Biometric Suit on Hold

Telegram founder Pavel Durov says the French criminal investigation against him has produced no evidence after one year. He criticized prosecutors for treating a platform executive as personally liable for user content, calling it legally and logically absurd. Durov highlighted that Telegram complies with all lawful requests while upholding encryption and privacy, and warned the ongoing case has damaged France’s image as a free nation. Meanwhile, in the US, a federal judge in Illinois granted Coinbase’s motion to stay a lawsuit alleging violations of the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Plaintiffs claim Coinbase collected users’ biometric data without proper notice and shared faceprints with third-party providers. The case is paused pending a Seventh Circuit appellate decision that may set precedent. This stay reduces immediate litigation pressure on Coinbase, which is already facing multiple data breach lawsuits.