🚨
Here is a summary and rephrasing of the explosive claims made by Telegram CEO Pavel Durov regarding alleged censorship and pressure tactics used by European authorities:
The Core Allegation
Pavel Durov claims that European governments are using regulatory and legal systems as leverage to force tech companies into censoring political speech they dislike. He described this process as a playbook involving:
Imposing "Impossible Rules": Creating regulations (like the EU's) that are virtually impossible for tech firms to fully comply with.
Launching Investigations: Using non-compliance as grounds to launch investigations or levy fines (like the recent action against X).
Offering Deals: Offering to resolve these legal and regulatory problems in exchange for the company's "quiet" agreement to censor specific channels or voices, particularly ahead of elections in Eastern Europe.
Punishing Refusal: Destroying or heavily fining platforms that refuse to comply with these quiet censorship demands.
Durov's Detailed Testimony
Durov provided specific examples involving French intelligence (DGSE) as evidence of this alleged political interference:
The Romanian Request (Spring 2025): Durov states that Nicolas Lerner, the head of the French DGSE, personally met with him in Paris (at the Hôtel de Crillon) and asked him to ban conservative Romanian Telegram channels right before their elections. Durov claims he refused this request.
The Moldovan Leverage (September 2024): While Durov was detained in Paris facing 12 criminal charges, he alleges that French intelligence offered to intervene on his behalf with the judge (to "say good things") if Telegram would agree to censor certain Moldovan channels before their elections.
Durov’s Conclusion: He argues this was either an illegal attempt by the agency to influence the judicial process or an exploitation of his legal vulnerability to achieve political ends in Eastern Europe.
Telegram's Response and The "Legitimate" Channels
Telegram initially removed a short list of channels that genuinely violated their platform rules.
However, when presented with a second list, Durov states that "nearly all of these channels were legitimate" and their only offense was expressing political views opposed by the French and Moldovan governments.
Telegram ultimately refused to censor this second, politically motivated list.
Denials and Context
France's Denial: The French DGSE has officially denied Durov's claims, calling them "unfounded," though they did confirm that they have met with the Telegram CEO on "several occasions."
Wider Context: Durov’s statement comes just one day after the EU fined X (formerly Twitter) €120 million, suggesting to many that both companies are facing similar pressure tactics.
In short, Durov is not describing theoretical regulation; he is alleging a practical "extortion playbook" where legal and regulatory pressure is used by powerful European entities to enforce political censorship abroad.
I can search for official statements from the French government or the EU regarding these specific claims. Would you like me to do that?
That's a powerful statement from Pavel Durov, and the information you provided is consistent with the details available in public reporting.
Here is the rephrased summary, incorporating the confirmed information about the French denial and the separate action against X:
🇫🇷 Allegations of "Leverage Disguised as Law" Against Tech Firms
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has publicly alleged that European governments, particularly France, are using legal and regulatory pressure to coerce tech companies into politically motivated censorship, which he termed an "extortion playbook."
Durov's Accusations: The French Case
Durov presented two specific instances involving France’s foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE, and its head, Nicolas Lerner:
The Political Request (Spring 2025): Durov claims that DGSE chief Nicolas Lerner personally met him in Paris and requested that Telegram ban "conservative Romanian voices" ahead of their elections. Durov stated he refused this request, asserting Telegram will not censor political speech in Europe.
The Legal Leverage (September 2024): Durov, while detained in France on 12 criminal charges (related to illicit activity on Telegram), alleges French intelligence used an intermediary to offer him assistance with his court case if he would quietly censor certain Moldovan Telegram channels before their national elections. He described this as exploiting his legal vulnerability to influence Eastern European politics.
Durov concluded that while Telegram removed the few channels that genuinely violated their rules, the bulk of the channels on the subsequent list were "legitimate" and targeted solely for voicing political positions disliked by the governments involved.
The Official Response and Context
French Denial: The French Foreign Ministry and the DGSE have categorically denied the allegations of interference in either the Romanian or Moldovan elections, stating Durov's claims are "unfounded" and a "diversionary maneuver." However, the DGSE did confirm meeting with Durov "on several occasions," stating the focus of their talks was limited to fighting terrorism and child exploitation threats.
The X Parallel: Durov’s statement gained immediate attention as it came just a day after the European Union issued its first major fine under the Digital Services Act (DSA), slapping X (formerly Twitter) with a €120 million penalty. X's owner, Elon Musk, has made an identical accusation, claiming the fine was levied after he refused an "illegal secret deal" to censor speech.
Conclusion
Durov's testimony suggests a consistent strategy where regulatory compliance investigations are allegedly used as "leverage" to pressure platforms into accepting quiet censorship deals. The simultaneous, public fines against X are seen by Durov and others as evidence of the "destroy those who refuse" component of this alleged playbook.$BTC
