Telegram fonder claims French spies pressured him on Eastern European geopolitics
(MENAFN) Telegram founder Pavel Durov has accused France's foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE, of attempting to pressure him into censoring conservative Romanian channels on his platform ahead of Romania’s presidential election runoff. Durov claims that Nicolas Lerner, the DGSE head, focused on Eastern European geopolitics rather than concerns about terrorism or child pornography.
Durov stated on X that while the DGSE initially cited concerns over child porn and terrorism, their real focus was on Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. He dismissed these concerns as a manipulation tactic, emphasizing that Telegram has long taken strong actions against child abuse and terrorism through content moderation, reporting, and transparency efforts.
The French intelligence agency rejected Durov’s allegations, maintaining that their interactions with him were solely about ensuring Telegram's compliance with legal obligations regarding terrorism and child exploitation material. They insisted that they never requested the removal of any political content.
Durov, who was arrested in France in 2024 on charges related to crimes allegedly conducted by Telegram users, was released on bail but has always dismissed the charges as baseless. He was later allowed to leave the country after increasing cooperation with global authorities.
This controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny of Telegram’s privacy policies. In late 2024, Telegram updated its privacy policy to allow the collection of user metadata, which could be shared with authorities if a user is suspected of illegal activities. Durov has been critical of the EU’s growing censorship, especially after Telegram channels associated with Russian media were blocked across Europe.
The situation coincides with Romania’s disputed presidential election, further fueling debates over political influence and media freedom in Europe.
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