Telegram’s Founder “Categorically Denied” Censorship of Political Material Before Romanian Elections

Social media platform Telegram’s creator, Pavel Durov, announced he “categorically refused” a Western European government’s request to censor conservative political discourse. In a message on Telegram dated May 18, Durov stated:

“Telegram will not limit the rights of Romanian users or obstruct their political channels.”

This call for censorship arose just before the Romanian presidential elections that took place today. Nicusor Dan, a former mathematician and the liberal mayor of Bucharest, triumphed over the right-wing nationalist candidate George Simion to assume the presidency of Romania.

In his statement, Durov did not directly identify the requesting country, but his use of a baguette emoji suggested a reference to France. He remarked:

“You cannot ‘defend democracy’ by undermining it. You cannot ‘combat election interference’ by meddling in elections. It is either you uphold free speech and fair elections, or you do not. The Romanian populace deserves both.”

Despite this, a BBC report indicated that France dismissed the accusations of interference as “utterly baseless.” This led Durov to name France explicitly, alongside the representative who made the request.

Subsequently, in a post on another platform, Durov revealed he had met with Nicolas Lerner, the head of French intelligence, at a prestigious venue in Paris. During this discussion, Lerner urged Durov to “prohibit” conservative political content on Telegram prior to the Romanian elections.

Durov emphasized that Telegram had never infringed on the rights of protestors in Russia, Belarus, or Iran, and asserted that it would not begin such actions in Europe.

Following Dan’s victory, French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron tweeted he had reached out to congratulate Dan while not disputing that efforts to sway election outcomes had occurred. Macron expressed,

“Despite various attempts at manipulation, the citizens of Romania chose democracy, the rule of law, and their place in the European Union.”

Durov rose to prominence after his arrest in France in August 2024, becoming a notable figure in the crypto community, which admired his commitment to free speech and individual rights. French prosecutors charged him with complicity in crimes, including child exploitation and drug trafficking via Telegram.

The crypto community responded to his arrest with an open letter criticizing the French government for infringing on human rights. The following day, Durov was released on €5 million bail and placed under judicial oversight. In March, a French court approved Durov’s petition to revise his bail terms, permitting him a few weeks to travel to Dubai.