Social media platform Telegram founder Pavel Durov said he “flatly refused” the request of a Western European government to censor conservative political content. In a Telegram post on May 18, Durove wrote:
“Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels.”
The demand for censorship came ahead of today’s scheduled Romanian presidential elections. Nicusor Dan, a mathematician turned liberal mayor of Bucharest, defeated right-wing nationalist opponent George Simion today to become the President of Romania.
Allegations of interference against France
In his post, Durov did not explicitly name the country that asked for the censorship. However, he hinted at it with a baguette emoji, understandably pointing to France. Durov wrote:
“You can’t “defend democracy” by destroying democracy. You can’t “fight election interference” by interfering with elections. You either have freedom of speech and fair elections — or you don’t. And the Romanian people deserve both.”
According to a BBC report, however, France claimed that the allegations of interference were “completely unfounded.” This prompted Durov to openly name France and its representative who placed the request.
In a later X post, Durov stated that he met with Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon. At the meeting, Lerner asked Durov to “ban” conservative political content on Telegram ahead of the Romanian elections.
Durov added that Telegram did not impinge on the rights of protestors in Russia, Belarus, or Iran, and “won’t start doing it in Europe.”
After Dan’s victory, French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron, in an X post, announced that he had called and congratulated Dan, but did not deny that attempts to manipulate the election results had existed. While pledging France’s support, Macron wrote:
“Despite numerous attempts at manipulation, Romanians tonight chose democracy, the rule of law, and the European Union.”
Durov gained limelight after his arrest in France last year
After French authorities arrested Durov in August 2024, he gained prominence in the crypto community that valued his stance on free speech, privacy, and individual liberties. French prosecutors charged Durov with being complicit in the facilitation of crimes like child pornography and drug trafficking through Telegram.
The crypto community condemned the arrest in an open letter and accused the French government of violating human rights. The next day, Durov was granted a €5 million bail and placed under judicial supervision. In March, a French court granted Durov’s request to modify his bail conditions, allowing him several weeks of leave to visit Dubai.
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