Durov Alleges French Intelligence Sought Moldova Censorship

Telegram founder Pavel Durov says French intelligence, via an intermediary and while he was under judicial supervision after his 2024 arrest, asked him to remove specific Telegram channels ahead of Moldova’s 2024 vote in exchange for saying “good things” to the judge overseeing his case. Durov says Telegram removed only a few channels that clearly violated its rules but refused further requests to censor politically disfavored voices. Moldova’s pivotal vote was contested between pro‑European forces backed by President Maia Sandu and pro‑Russian opposition figures amid broader allegations of Russian meddling. French officials and intelligence services have dismissed or denied Durov’s allegations and noted he has made similar claims previously. Durov and his supporters framed the dispute as part of a larger fight over online free speech, privacy and encryption, and he warned Telegram will not build backdoors or compromise user privacy even if it means leaving jurisdictions.