Telegram CEO Says French Intelligence Asked Him to Ban Romanian Election Channels

Pavel Durov, the founder and executive director of the encoded platform for messaging Telegram, confirmed that the French side of the intelligence service had requested him to ban the conservative Romanian votes ahead of the May 2025 presidential elections, citing terrorism and care for the safety of children.

He refused.

“They met me – a little in the fight against terrorism and child pornography,” Durov wrote On X on Monday.

Durov claims that the latter theme is “never mentioned”, adding that the intelligence agency is involved in manipulative tactics, despite having other intentions.

“Their main focus has always been geopolitics: Romania, Moldova, Ukraine,” Durov claimed.

The General Director of Foreign Security (DGSE), the French foreign intelligence agency, allegedly sought IP minutes for users related to political conversations, Durov said.

“The false implied that the Telegram did nothing to remove the baby porn, the tactic is manipulation,” he added.

Durov’s claims were First published On Sunday morning, with French officials who denied their allegations for hours afterwards.

“France categorically rejects these allegations and invites everyone to perform responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy,” the Ministry of the country for Europe and external affairs specified on the X.

Decipher He reached to the Ministry for further comment. The Press Telegram’s Press Office did not return immediately Decipherptic A comment request.

Optional interference and democracy

When the French intelligence head Nicolas Lerner approached Durovo, the telegram head claimed that he had “directly refused.”

“You can’t” defend democracy “by destroying a democracy. You can’t” fight the choice of mixing in the election, “Durov said, exposure Thing on his channel Telegram.

The interaction happened sometime in the spring at the Des Batailles Salon in Hôtel de Crillon, Durov recalled.

Concern about the election with interference using the Telegram as a encrypted means of communication center at the recently concluded Presidential elections of Romania, where Nicusor Dan, Centrist, defeated George Simion, a nationalist who had He claims publicly follow the political style of President Donald Trump.

Durov claimed that the French intelligence service had requested him to block Romanian conservative voices during the election. French DGSE admitted a meeting with Durov, but stated that these discussions focused only on “preventing the threats of terrorism and child pornography” on the platform.

Still, the founder of the Telegram is not a stranger to political supervision.

Last year was arrested and arrested through his alleged role in facilitating criminal content. The case remains unresolved.

The move caused anger throughout the technological industry. Notcoin and Toncoin, two crypto currencies associated with the Telegram platform via an open network, dropped as many as 21% on the news.

After Durov’s arrest, the platform promised Share the details and collaborate with the authorities.

It is worth noting that Duron’s indictment came at a time when the Telegram was moving to make financial services supported by a cryptocurrency of the basic feature of its platform.

These ambitions interfere with the authority with the authorities, Seth Gertz, a former US lawyer specializing in cryptocurrency currency and cyber security, said Decipher at that time.

“The more they descend that way, the more they call supervision,” Goertz said, commenting on the telegram crypto and financial ambitions.

Edited Andrew Hayward