By Atoyebi Nike
Telegram founder Pavel Durov has alleged that France’s intelligence chief attempted to interfere in Romania’s democratic process by requesting the censorship of conservative voices on the messaging platform ahead of national elections.
Durov made the explosive claim Sunday night on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Nicolas Lerner, director of France’s intelligence agency, approached him in the spring with a request to block Romanian conservatives during a private meeting in Paris.
“This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused,” Durov posted.
He emphasized Telegram’s long-standing refusal to censor political activists, saying, “We didn’t block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won’t start doing it in Europe.”
The claim came hours after an upset in Romania’s presidential race, where Bucharest Mayor Nicușor Dan, a centrist, defeated a nationalist candidate influenced by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s style of campaigning.
In an earlier cryptic post on Telegram that featured only a baguette emoji—widely interpreted as a nod to France—Durov appeared to hint at foreign interference without naming the country.
France’s foreign ministry swiftly denied the allegations, describing them as “baseless” and urging respect for Romania’s democratic process. “France categorically rejects these allegations and calls on everyone to exercise responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy,” the ministry said.
The incident adds to ongoing debates about the influence of messaging platforms on democratic processes and the fine line between moderation and censorship. Telegram, known for its encrypted messaging and minimal content regulation, often finds itself at the heart of free speech disputes globally.
