The founder of the messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, made a bold statement regarding attempts by French intelligence agencies to influence the operation of his platform ahead of the 2024 presidential elections in Moldova. He claims that France tried to use his legal troubles for political censorship in the region.
This is reported by Finway
Circumstances of the French Intelligence Agencies’ Approach
Pavel Durov reported that about a year ago, while in Paris under pressure from the French judiciary, he was approached through an intermediary by intelligence officials. They asked Durov to assist the Moldovan government in restricting access to certain Telegram channels that were actively covering political events ahead of the elections.
“About a year ago, when I was stuck in Paris, the French intelligence services reached out to me through an intermediary, asking for help in censoring certain Telegram channels before the presidential elections,” Durov wrote.
According to him, after an internal review, Telegram only removed those channels that genuinely violated the platform’s rules. At the same time, the intermediary conveyed that in exchange for cooperation, the French side promised to assist in resolving his legal issues in France, specifically to influence the arrest decision made in August of the previous year.
Telegram Refuses Political Censorship
Durov emphasized that such a proposal was unacceptable, as it could be seen as an attempt to interfere in the judicial process or as using his legal situation for political manipulation in Eastern Europe. He noted that similar scenarios had already occurred in other countries in the region, particularly in Romania.
Later, Telegram received another list of channels that the French side considered “problematic.” However, this time, according to Durov, all of them fully complied with the platform’s rules and did not violate the messenger’s policy. The only characteristic of these channels was that they broadcast political views that did not support the governments of France and Moldova.
Pavel Durov categorically refused to comply with this request, stressing that Telegram remains committed to the principles of freedom of speech and does not remove content solely for political reasons.
His statement came amid the counting of results from the parliamentary elections in Moldova, where the pro-European party “Action and Solidarity,” led by President Maia Sandu, is in the lead. Sandu herself has claimed that there has been mass interference by Russia in the country’s electoral process.
The leader of the pro-Russian opposition, Igor Dodon, called on supporters to protest outside the parliament and threatened to seek the annulment of the election results.
In a broader context, Pavel Durov highlighted the growing pressure from states on digital platforms, especially those that guarantee privacy to their users.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Durov’s statements, stating on social media that the founder of Telegram “likes to make accusations during elections.”
It is worth noting that Durov is under judicial supervision in France following his arrest in August 2024 and is required to report to the relevant authorities every 14 days, with the date for the appeal hearing yet to be determined.