Pavel Durov, the co-founder of Telegram, has made a startling claim that the French secret services approached him to censor content related to the 2024 Moldova election. According to Durov, the request was made to influence the narrative in a way that would be favorable to the French and Moldovan governments. However, Durov rejected this request, stating that Telegram would not compromise its commitment to free speech and impartiality.
Durov explained that initially, Telegram had removed some content that clearly violated the platform’s terms of use. However, when presented with a second list of “problematic” channels, the team found that most of these channels were legitimate and did not violate Telegram’s rules. The only common thread among these channels was that they held political views that were not aligned with those of the French and Moldovan governments. Durov wrote in a Telegram post, “We refused to react to this request.”
Source: Pavel Durov
Durov’s arrest in August 2024 sparked a wave of support from the crypto industry, which rallied behind him in his ongoing case. The incident highlights the ongoing struggle between tech platforms and state governments over censorship and freedom of speech. As Durov noted, “You cannot defend democracy by destroying democracy. You cannot combat a lack of choice by affecting elections. You either have freedom of speech and fair elections – or not at all.”
French and European Authorities’ History of Censorship Requests
In May 2025, Durov revealed an earlier incident where French secret services had pressured Telegram to censor content related to the Romanian election. Durov rejected this request as well, citing the importance of maintaining freedom of speech and impartiality. This is not an isolated incident, as French and European authorities have previously asked Telegram to censor political content.
After his arrest in 2024, Durov has been vocal in his criticism of the French government and the European Union’s management. In June, he warned that France was headed towards social collapse due to state censorship and failed government policies. He also emphasized that Telegram would not compromise its commitment to user privacy, even if it meant leaving jurisdictions that demanded encryption keys or backdoors for state monitoring.
EU Proposal to Monitor Chat Messages
Durov’s warnings about state-run attacks on online speech freedom and privacy have been echoed in recent developments. In 2025, an EU proposal to monitor all chat messages, including encrypted user communication, received support from 19 EU members. This proposal has raised concerns about the erosion of privacy and freedom of speech in the digital realm.
As the debate around censorship and freedom of speech continues, Durov’s stance on the issue remains clear. Telegram will prioritize user privacy and freedom of speech, even if it means facing challenges from state governments. For more information on this story, visit https://cointelegraph.com/news/pavel-durov-asked-censor-moldova-election?utm_source=rss_feed&utm_medium=rss_tag_regulation&utm_campaign=rss_partner_inbound
