Overview

• Pavel Durov said an intermediary approached him in Paris about a year ago on behalf of French intelligence to remove Moldovan political channels ahead of a 2024 vote.
• He said Telegram took down a few channels that clearly broke platform rules but refused a second list he described as politically aligned yet compliant with Telegram policies.
• Durov claimed the intermediary indicated French intelligence would say good things to the judge in his French case in return, which he called unacceptable and potentially improper influence.
• France publicly dismissed the allegation and previously denied Durov’s May claim that its foreign intelligence sought bans on Romanian conservative voices.
• Durov remains under judicial supervision in France after his 2024 arrest in an investigation into suspected organised crime linked to Telegram, a platform with over 1 billion monthly users and outsized reach in Eastern Europe.