Paris prosecutors have opened a formal investigation against Telegram founder Pavel Durov as part of a probe into organised crime-related activities on the messaging app, in what is a rare case of a tech executive being held personally accountable for illegal activities on a digital platform.

But who is the Russian-born founder of the popular messaging app, and what is the French investigation about? And can the European Commission have a say on the role of tech companies in regulating online content?

To break down everything that is happening in the Pavel Durov case, we're joined by our Paris-based technology reporter, Théophane Hartmann.