Pavel Durov Rejects EU Censorship Demands Ahead of Romanian Election

Key Highlights

• Telegram rejected pressure from a Western European government to censor conservative political content ahead of Romania's May 18 election.

• Pavel Durov emphasized the importance of free speech, stating that election integrity cannot coexist with censorship.

• The request allegedly came from France, as hinted by Durov using a baguette emoji in his announcement.

• Durov previously faced arrest in France in 2024, sparking backlash from free speech advocates.

• Telegram continues to comply with legal requests through proper channels, while resisting politically motivated interference.

Durov Defends Free Speech Amid Political Pressure

In a post published on May 18, Telegram founder Pavel Durov revealed that a Western European government attempted to pressure the platform into censoring "conservative voices" in the lead-up to Romania’s presidential election.

While Durov did not name the country directly, his use of a 🥖 (baguette emoji) strongly suggested that the request came from France.

“You can’t ‘defend democracy’ by destroying democracy. You can’t ‘fight election interference’ by interfering with elections,” Durov wrote. “You either have freedom of speech and fair elections — or you don’t. And the Romanian people deserve both.”

Source: Pavel Durov

A History of Free Speech Advocacy

Durov has consistently positioned himself as a staunch defender of privacy and free expression, values that have earned him widespread respect in both the tech and crypto communities.

In August 2024, he was arrested in France, prompting an outcry from global civil liberties groups and prominent tech leaders, who condemned the move as politically motivated.

French President Emmanuel Macron dismissed the criticism, claiming that France was "committed to freedom of expression." Critics, however, accused the government of contradicting that commitment by targeting Durov for Telegram’s content moderation policies.

“You can’t keep founders personally liable, and charge them up to 20 years, for not moderating speech — and at the same time claim you are deeply committed to freedom of expression,” said Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz.

Telegram’s Legal Stance and Response

Telegram maintains a legal presence in France, including a representative responsible for processing lawful requests from authorities. Durov criticized the French government for bypassing these procedures and instead issuing a direct arrest warrant against him.

“We cooperate with legitimate legal requests. What we reject are politically motivated demands that violate our users’ rights,” Durov has previously stated.

Following Durov's arrest, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski revealed he had left the EU after similar threats from French authorities. Pavlovski also criticized France’s handling of Durov’s case, calling it an attempt to force tech founders into compliance through intimidation.

Final Thoughts

As the debate over free speech and platform responsibility intensifies across Europe, Durov’s principled refusal to comply with politically charged censorship demands reaffirms Telegram’s commitment to user rights. With elections looming in several EU countries, pressure on tech platforms may only increase — but Durov’s message is clear: true democracy cannot exist without freedom of expression.