Telegram owner ‘flatly rejected’ to censor political web content ahead of Romanian political election

Social media site platform Telegram owner Pavel Durov stated he “emphatically rejected” the request of a Western European federal government to censor conventional political content. In a Telegram message on May 18, Durove created:

“Telegram will certainly not restrict the flexibilities of Romanian users or obstruct their political networks.”

The need for censorship came ahead of today’s set up Romanian governmental elections. Nicusor Dan, a mathematician transformed liberal mayor of Bucharest, beat right-wing nationalist opponent George Simion today to come to be the Head of state of Romania.

Claims of interference versus France

In his blog post, Durov did not clearly call the country that asked for the censorship. Nevertheless, he meant it with a baguette emoji, not surprisingly pointing to France. Durov composed:

“You can not “safeguard democracy” by ruining democracy. You can’t “battle political election interference” by interfering with elections. You either have freedom of expression and fair elections– or you do not. And the Romanian people should have both.”

According to a BBC record, however, France claimed that the allegations of interference were “completely unfounded.” This motivated Durov to freely call France and its representative who placed the request.

In a later X message, Durov stated that he consulted with Nicolas Lerner, head of French knowledge, at the Salon des Batailles in the Resort de Crillon. At the conference, Lerner asked Durov to “prohibit” conventional political material on Telegram ahead of the Romanian elections.

Durov included that Telegram did not impinge on the legal rights of activists in Russia, Belarus, or Iran, and “won’t start doing it in Europe.”

After Dan’s victory, French Head of state Emmanuel Macron, in an X post, announced that he had actually called and praised Dan, but did not reject that efforts to manipulate the political election results had actually existed. While promising France’s support, Macron wrote:

“In spite of countless attempts at adjustment, Romanians tonite picked freedom, the rule of legislation, and the European Union.”

Durov obtained limelight after his apprehension in France last year

After French authorities arrested Durov in August 2024, he acquired importance in the crypto area that valued his position on complimentary speech, privacy, and private liberties. French prosecutors charged Durov with being complicit in the assistance of crimes like youngster porn and medication trafficking via Telegram.

The crypto area condemned the apprehension in an open letter and accused the French federal government of going against civils rights. The following day, Durov was given a EUR 5 million bail and positioned under judicial guidance. In March, a French court granted Durov’s demand to change his bail problems, enabling him a number of weeks of entrust to see Dubai.

Discussed in this write-up


Source