Pavel Durov Declines To Censor Moldova Election Content on Telegram

Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram, revealed that French intelligence pressured the platform to censor political content related to the 2024 elections in Moldova, a request he refused. Initially, some posts that violated Telegram’s terms of service were removed, but subsequent requests targeted legitimate channels expressing dissenting political views. Durov asserted that the requests were politically motivated and that his refusal was framed by the principle that democracy cannot be preserved through censorship. Following his arrest in 2024, which sparked outrage among the crypto and human rights communities, Durov became increasingly critical of the French government and stated that interference in elections contradicts the tenets of democracy. His stance echoed broader concerns regarding privacy and user rights, as he warned against state-led censorship and surveillance measures that compromise user data.

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