After being charged with improperly regulating his app to lower criminal activity, the software mogul was taken into custody in August.

 Mr. Durov disputes not assisting law enforcement with fraud, child sex abuse, and drug trafficking.  In the past, Telegram has denied that its moderation is inadequate.

 For the first time, a tech CEO has been taken into custody for crimes committed on their platform.

"The process is ongoing but it feels great to be home," Mr. Durov wrote in a post on his Telegram channel.

 When the 40-year-old arrived in Paris on his private plane in August 2024, he was arrested, and French judges originally denied him permission to leave the country.

 However, between March 15 and April 7, "the obligations of judicial supervision" were lifted, the Paris prosecutor's office informed the BBC on Monday.

 No other information regarding the terms of his release from France was provided.

 Mr. Durov was born in France, the United Arab Emirates, the Caribbean island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Russia, where he has citizenship. He currently resides in Dubai.

Telegram is especially well-liked in Iran, Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union.

 "Continuous efforts"
 With 950 million users globally, Telegram has positioned itself as an app that prioritizes user privacy over the standard norms that other multinational social media firms prioritize.

 However, the BBC and other news outlets reported that criminals were using the app to promote narcotics, provide fraud and cybercrime services, and, most recently, to promote child sex abuse.

 One analyst dubbed it "the dark web in your pocket" as a result.

 The company has stated in the past that his arrest was unjust and that he shouldn't be held accountable for the actions of users on the site.

Mr. Durov praised the French judges for allowing him to return home from his home in Dubai.

 He additionally complimented his attorneys for their "relentless efforts in demonstrating that, when it comes to moderation, cooperation, and fighting crime, for years Telegram not only met but exceeded its legal obligations" .

 However, Telegram has changed its operations in a number of ways since the arrest.

 It has become a member of the Internet Watch Foundation program, which works to identify, take down, and report internet content that depicts child sexual abuse.

In response to legitimate legal requests, it has also declared that the IP addresses and phone numbers of people who break its regulations will be turned over to law enforcement.

 Additionally, it has released transparency reports detailing the amount of information removed, which is a common industry practice that it had previously refused to follow.