TLDR:
- Pavel Durov refused a request to censor conservative political content on Telegram ahead of Romania’s presidential election
- Durov later revealed the request came from French intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner
- Liberal candidate Nicusor Dan defeated right-wing nationalist George Simion in the Romanian election
- Durov has become popular in the crypto community for his stance on free speech and privacy
- French President Macron congratulated Dan’s victory while mentioning “numerous attempts at manipulation”
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has publicly revealed that he rejected pressure from a European Union country to censor political content on the platform ahead of Romania’s May 18 presidential election.
In a Telegram post on May 18, Durov stated that he “flatly refused” a request from a Western European government to censor conservative political content. He initially hinted at the country with a baguette emoji but later explicitly named France as the source of the censorship request.
“Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels,” Durov wrote. He added, “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.”
In a subsequent post on X, Durov revealed more details about the encounter. He stated that he met with Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon.
During this meeting, Lerner allegedly asked Durov to “ban” conservative political content on Telegram ahead of the Romanian elections. Durov refused, stating that Telegram had not censored protestors in Russia, Belarus, or Iran, and “won’t start doing it in Europe.”
The Romanian Election Outcome
The Romanian presidential election resulted in victory for Nicusor Dan, a mathematician turned liberal mayor of Bucharest. Dan defeated right-wing nationalist opponent George Simion to become the new President of Romania.
Following Dan’s victory, French President Emmanuel Macron posted on X to congratulate him. Macron’s post mentioned “numerous attempts at manipulation” without directly addressing the censorship allegations, saying: “Despite numerous attempts at manipulation, Romanians tonight chose democracy, the rule of law, and the European Union.”
When asked about the allegations, France claimed they were “completely unfounded” according to a BBC report. This denial prompted Durov to share more specific details about his interaction with French intelligence.
Durov’s Rising Profile
Durov has gained prominence in the crypto community following his arrest in France in August 2024. French authorities charged him with being complicit in facilitating crimes like child pornography and drug trafficking through the Telegram platform.
The arrest sparked widespread condemnation from the crypto community and free speech advocates worldwide. Many accused the French government of orchestrating a politically-motivated arrest aimed at pressuring Durov to increase censorship on Telegram.
French President Macron denied the arrest was political while claiming the French government was “committed to freedom of expression and communication” in an August 26 X post last year.
After his arrest, Durov was granted a €5 million bail and placed under judicial supervision. In March 2025, a French court modified his bail conditions, allowing him several weeks of leave to visit Dubai.
The Telegram founder has maintained that the platform complies with lawful information requests made by law enforcement officials. He pointed out that Telegram has a legal representative in France who handles such requests.
Durov criticized the French government for bypassing this legal representative and choosing to issue an arrest warrant instead.
In the aftermath of Durov’s arrest last year, Chris Pavlovski, CEO of free speech video platform Rumble, announced that he had safely departed the European Union after receiving threats from France. Pavlovski also criticized the French government’s arrest of Durov as an attempt to pressure him into censoring speech on Telegram.
The Telegram founder continues to be seen as an advocate for free speech, privacy, and individual liberty in the crypto community and beyond. His recent stance against censorship of Romanian election content has further cemented this reputation.
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