Telegram CEO Says French Intelligence Asked Him to Ban Romanian Election Channels
Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, confirmed that France's foreign intelligence service requested the platform to ban conservative Romanian voices ahead of the May 2025 presidential election, citing terrorism and child safety concerns. Durov refused, stating that the discussions were primarily focused on geopolitics rather than the stated issues. He claimed the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE) sought IP logs for users involved in political conversations. French officials denied Durov's allegations, asserting their commitment to Romanian democracy. Durov emphasized that defending democracy cannot involve undermining it. The incident follows Durov's previous arrest related to facilitating criminal content, which has drawn scrutiny towards Telegram's ambitions in crypto-backed financial services. Following the news, cryptocurrencies associated with Telegram experienced significant declines.
