This story has been updated with a statement from Telegram. French prosecutors have placed Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, under formal investigation using a stringent new cybercrime law. What Happened: The LOPMI law,

By Gabriel Stargardter PARIS (Reuters) -When French prosecutors took aim at Telegram boss Pavel Durov, they had a trump card to wield - a tough new law with no international equivalent that criminalises tech titans whose platforms allow illegal products or activities.

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has hit out at French authorities, judging his recent arrest over an alleged lack of moderation on the messaging app as "misguided" and "surprising". In his first public comments since he was detained last month,

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the messaging platform Telegram, made his first public comments since he was arrested in France last month.

Telegram expanded the powers of its moderators to include private chats, allowing them to flag illegal content for review.

Durov, 39, was accused of failing to curb illegal content including child pornography on Telegram, ordered to pay 5 million euros ($5.6 million) bail and required to report to a police station twice a week. He is barred from leaving France.