In a stunning revelation, Pavel Durov, the co-founder of Telegram, has claimed that French intelligence officials pressured him to censor political content tied to Moldova’s 2024 election. According to Durov, the request was part of an informal bargain: comply, and the French authorities would “say good things” to the judge overseeing his case.

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Durov, who was arrested in France in August 2024, wrote in a Sunday post on his own platform that while Telegram initially removed some posts that “clearly” violated its terms of service, French officials soon provided a second list.

Unlike the first, nearly all of these channels were legitimate and fully compliant with our rules. Their only commonality was that they voiced political positions disliked by the French and Moldovan governments. We refused to act on this request,” Durov said.

A growing clash between states and platforms

The clash underscores a broader struggle between governments and digital platforms over free expression. French authorities, along with other European Union officials, have repeatedly demanded that Telegram restrict political content during elections, citing fears of disinformation campaigns.

But Durov argues that such demands undermine democracy itself.

You can’t ‘defend democracy’ by destroying democracy. You can’t ‘fight election interference’ by interfering with elections,” he wrote in May 2025, referencing similar pressure from France to censor Romanian election content.

Crypto industry and activists rally behind Durov

Durov’s claims come amid heightened scrutiny of his trial and the future of Telegram in Europe. His arrest in 2024 drew fierce backlash from the crypto industry, which has long embraced Telegram as a hub for innovation and decentralized finance discussions. Human rights groups also condemned what they described as a politically motivated attack on digital privacy.

Since then, Durov has positioned himself as a vocal critic of the French government and of the EU’s direction. In June, he warned that France was “inching toward societal collapse” due to rising censorship and authoritarian policies.

Privacy vs. surveillance

One of the central issues is encryption. Durov has repeatedly vowed that Telegram will exit jurisdictions, including France, rather than hand over encryption keys or create backdoors for state surveillance.

This debate intensified in 2025 as the EU pushed forward a controversial proposal to monitor all online messages—including encrypted ones. The initiative, supported by 19 EU member states, has been described by critics as the largest state-backed attack on online privacy in the union’s history.

For Durov, the stakes go beyond one court case. “We either have freedom of speech and fair elections—or we don’t,” he declared.

What’s next for Telegram?

With Telegram boasting more than 900 million users worldwide, the platform’s standoff with European governments could set the tone for the future of digital freedoms. If Durov follows through on his threats to withdraw from countries that demand backdoor access, millions of European users could find themselves cut off.

For now, the battle lines are clear: a Russian-born tech entrepreneur standing firm on principles of free expression, and European governments insisting on tighter control in the name of democracy.

The outcome of Durov’s case in France, and Telegram’s response to future censorship demands, could reshape the global conversation about privacy, power, and the limits of state authority in the digital age.