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The Open Network (TON) suffered through two major outages over the past 36 hours, linked to the launch of the DOGS meme coin. The disruptions happened on Aug. 27 and 28, and both lasted approximately six hours. Meanwhile, Pavel Durov, who was recently arrested in France, is facing multiple and serious legal challenges, including charges related to illegal activities on Telegram and child abuse allegations in Switzerland. Now, Indonesia is also considering banning Telegram due to concerns over insufficient content moderation.
TON Network Faced 12 Hours of Downtime
The Open Network (TON) resumed operations after a second major outage in 36 hours. The network's return to normal was announced by the official TON Community on Aug. 29 through their Telegram group. This latest outage started on Aug. 28, and lasted just over six hours. It was caused by a surge in network activity related to the launch of a new TON-based meme coin called Dogs (DOGS).
TON community telegram message (Source: Telegram)
This was the second disruption for TON in a very short span of time. The first outage started on Aug. 27, and also lasted for six hours. Both outages were linked to the DOGS meme coin, and the official TON channels confirmed this cause after the network went down a second time. In total, the network experienced over 12 hours of downtime over the past 36 hours.
DOGS officially launched on Aug. 27, and has been promoted as the “most Telegram-native meme coin” and draws inspiration from Spotty, the pet dog of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, who was recently arrested in France. The meme coin’s launch generated serious congestion on the TON network. In fact, DOGS hit more than $1.7 billion in trading volume in the first 10 hours of its debut. The official Dogs channel on Telegram also quickly attracted close to 17 million subscribers since the token was first proposed.
After the network's return online, the price of Toncoin (TON) saw a 4+% increase, and is trading hands at $5.60 at press time. However, TON's price is still down by more than 13% on the weekly time frame.
TON 7d price chart (Source: CoinMarketCap)
TON Society Demands Durov’s Release
The TON community has been very busy over the past few days, and not just with the DOGS launch. The Open Network Society, which is an independent group representing the TON community, issued an open letter to French authorities demanding the immediate release of Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov, who was arrested at Le Bourget Airport on Aug. 24.
The letter calls Durov’s imprisonment a violation of basic human rights and free speech principles. It also urges international bodies, including the United Nations, the Council of Europe, and the European Union, to intervene on Durov’s behalf and pressure France to uphold human rights.
Screenshot from TON’s open letter (Source: TON Society)
The letter also calls on social media and technology firms to resist state censorship and information embargoes, and points out that Telegram’s content moderation policies fully comply with the EU’s Digital Services Act. French President Emmanuel Macron responded to the backlash by stating that Durov’s arrest was not political, but this response only fueled further criticism from the online community.
Telegram CEO Charged, Released on Bail
Not long after the TON Society shared its letter, Pavel Durov was released from custody after being charged by French authorities and placed under judicial supervision. After a court appearance, Durov was barred from leaving France and required to post bail of 5 million euros ($5.5 million).
The charges against him include complicity in illegal activities, refusal to cooperate with authorities, money laundering, criminal association, and providing cryptology services without prior declaration. French prosecutors have accused Durov of complicity in spreading child pornography and facilitating illicit activities through Telegram. Additionally, he reportedly faces unrelated child abuse allegations in Switzerland.
Durov’s detention started on Aug. 24 when he was apprehended at an airport north of Paris. His release sparked criticism from supporters who consider the arrest an attack on freedom of expression. People are also concerned that it could set a precedent for other social media executives, like Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk, as they could be held accountable for users’ activities on their platforms.
Durov Also Accused of Child Abuse
Pavel Durov is also under investigation in Switzerland for alleged child abuse after a criminal complaint filed by his former partner, Irina Bolgar. The allegations emerged after Durov's recent arrest in France and are part of a broader legal dispute involving unpaid child support and a contentious custody battle.
According to a Forbes report, Bolgar filed the complaint in March of 2023, and accused Durov of being physically violent toward one of their children on five occasions between 2021 and 2022. This resulted in injuries like a concussion and persistent sleep disorders.
The investigation includes evidence like message transcripts between Bolgar and Durov from November of 2021 and a medical record from April 2023, which indicates that the child continues to suffer from anxiety and sleep issues due to the alleged abuse. The case was initially dismissed by the Geneva Public Prosecutor’s Office because it was filed more than three months after the most recent incident. However, Bolgar successfully appealed, and the case was allowed to proceed in October 2023.
Bolgar also filed a civil child custody suit and a claim for child support in June of 2024, after Durov allegedly stopped paying the previously agreed 150,000 euros per month in child support and ceased contact with their children in September 2022. Bolgar has been supporting the children on her monthly salary of 8,000 Swiss francs since then. Durov declined to comment on the allegations.
Indonesia Considers Banning Telegram
Indonesia is now considering banning Telegram due to concerns over insufficient moderation of illegal content. According to the Jakarta Globe, Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Informatics stated that authorities are evaluating the possibility of blocking Telegram. The concerns center on the distribution of illicit content on Telegram, including the promotion of online gambling and the spread of pornography.
The Indonesian government is also considering a potential ban on Bigo Live, which is a live-streaming app owned by Singapore-based Bigo Technology, due to similar issues. Both Telegram and Bigo Live reportedly promised to improve content moderation after requests from the Indonesian government, but have not done so.
Minister Budi Arie Setiadi seems to be leaning towards shutting down Telegram and Bigo Live but still acknowledges the need for proper studies before any bans are enforced. He warned that any further evidence of illegal content distribution on these platforms will very likely lead to their prohibition in the country.
Some fo the countries with the most Telegram users (Source: Demandsage)
If Indonesia decides to proceed with a ban, Telegram could lose a big portion of its user base. The country is ranked third in the world for Telegram usage, with over 27 million app downloads.
