A significant controversy has erupted in the international community, with Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, alleging that French foreign intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner personally requested him to censor conservative voices on his platform. This request was made ahead of the highly contested rerun of Romania’s presidential elections. Durov, a Russian-born billionaire, has stated that he refused to comply with Lerner’s request.
The accusations of foreign interference in Romania’s elections initially surfaced last year, after the country’s top court annulled the November election results. Independent right-wing candidate Calin Georgescu had secured 23% of the votes, but authorities cited irregularities in his campaign and alleged Russian interference, claims that Moscow has denied. Georgescu was later barred from running in the elections again. On Sunday, pro-EU centrist Nicusor Dan was elected president of Romania, while his conservative, Eurosceptic opponent George Simion accused France and Moldova of attempting to sabotage his campaign.
Durov revealed the details of his meeting with Lerner, the head of France’s Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), in a post on social media. He stated that Lerner asked him to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of the elections, a request that Durov refused. “We didn’t block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won’t start doing it in Europe,” Durov wrote. This is not the first time Durov has hinted that France asked him to silence Romanian conservatives.
The French Foreign Ministry has rejected the allegations of election meddling, labeling them “completely unfounded.” The ministry stated that France categorically rejects these allegations and calls on everyone to exercise responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy. The ministry also described the accusations as a “diversionary maneuver” aimed at distracting the public from the real threats of interference targeting Romania.
It’s worth noting that Durov has had previous run-ins with French authorities. Last year, he was charged with facilitating the distribution of child sexual exploitation material and drug trafficking due to alleged moderation failures on Telegram. He was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget Airport in August before being released on €5 million ($5.46 million) bail. Durov has denied any wrongdoing and was eventually allowed to leave France in March.
The allegations made by Durov have significant implications for the international community, highlighting concerns about foreign interference in elections and the role of social media platforms in regulating online content. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how these developments will impact the global political landscape.
