Durov Reveals French Officials Pushed Telegram to Censor Moldova Election Content

Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov has accused French intelligence of pressuring him to censor political content related to Moldova’s 2024 elections in exchange for favorable treatment in his ongoing legal case in France. Durov, who was arrested in August 2024, said he rejected the request, calling it an attack on free speech.

According to Durov, Telegram initially removed posts that violated its rules but refused to delete additional content that was deemed politically sensitive. He revealed that officials later sent a second list of Moldovan channels, nearly all of which complied with Telegram’s policies but expressed views critical of the French and Moldovan governments. “We refused to act on this request,” Durov wrote.

The claim adds to growing tensions between tech platforms and European governments. Durov previously alleged that French authorities tried to pressure Telegram into censoring Romanian election content as well. He criticized European officials for undermining democracy by attempting to control political speech. “You can’t ‘defend democracy’ by destroying democracy,” he warned.

The crypto industry and digital rights groups have rallied behind Durov, condemning his arrest and ongoing trial as politically motivated. In June 2025, he warned that France was moving toward societal collapse due to state censorship and failed government policies. He vowed that Telegram would withdraw from jurisdictions rather than hand over encryption keys or build surveillance backdoors.

The controversy coincides with an EU-backed proposal to monitor all digital communications, including encrypted chats, which has gained support from 19 member states. Durov has framed these developments as part of a broader attack on free speech and online privacy, intensifying the battle between governments pushing surveillance measures and platforms resisting censorship.