Telegram founder Pavel Durov has publicly rejected pressure from a European Union country to censor political speech ahead of Romania’s presidential elections, which took place on May 18.
The tech entrepreneur revealed in a post on his Telegram channel, hinting that the country in question was France, using a baguette emoji as a clue.
Durov stated that the unnamed Western European government demanded that Telegram restrict conservative voices on its platform during the election period. He firmly declined the request, calling it an assault on democratic values.
The controversy comes on the heels of Durov’s arrest in France in August 2024 — a move that ignited fierce backlash from privacy advocates, crypto leaders, and free speech defenders around the world. Critics labelled the arrest as politically motivated, accusing the French government of trying to strong-arm the Telegram founder into tightening control over user content.
French President Emmanuel Macron responded to the uproar at the time, denying any political motive behind Durov’s detention. In an August 26 post on X, Macron claimed France remained
“deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication.”
Industry figures were quick to challenge that narrative.
“You can’t keep founders personally liable, and charge them up to 20 years, for not moderating speech, and at the same time claim you are deeply committed to freedom of expression,”
Mert Mumtaz, CEO of Helius Labs, said in response to Macron’s statement.
Following Durov’s arrest, Chris Pavlovski, CEO of video platform Rumble — another company that promotes free speech — revealed that he had left the European Union after what he described as threats from France. Pavlovski criticized the French authorities for treating Durov, framing it as part of a broader effort to pressure digital platforms into censorship.
Despite the mounting political pressure, Durov insists that Telegram complies with legitimate law enforcement requests and operates through legal channels. However, he condemned the French government for sidestepping those procedures in his case and issuing an arrest warrant instead of working through the company’s legal representative in France.
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