French officials pressured Telegram to censor Moldova election posts: Durov

Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram, disclosed that French intelligence pressured him to censor political content related to Moldova's 2024 elections in exchange for favorable statements concerning his ongoing trial. Durov initially removed a few posts that breached Telegram's terms of service but refused to eliminate other content on political grounds. He reported that the second list of supposedly problematic Moldovan channels actually consisted of legitimate voices opposing the French and Moldovan governments, leading Telegram to reject the request. Durov emphasized the importance of protecting free speech and fair elections, asserting that true democracy cannot coexist with censorship. Following his arrest in 2024, which received backlash from the crypto community and advocacy groups for human rights, Durov became increasingly critical of the French government and EU policies, warning against compromises that would infringe on user privacy and free expression. This incident highlights ongoing tensions between tech platforms and government censorship efforts.

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