The Voice News:Telegram founder Pavel Durov has alleged that the head of France’s foreign intelligence service, Nicolas Lerner, asked him to block conservative Romanian voices ahead of the country’s presidential election. Durov, currently under judicial supervision in France over allegations related to organized crime on Telegram, made the claim via a post on X, stating he refused the request.
“This spring at the Hôtel de Crillon, the head of French intelligence asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania. I refused,” Durov wrote. “We didn’t block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran — and we won’t start in Europe.”
French authorities have denied the accusation. The DGSE acknowledged meeting Durov several times to discuss Telegram’s responsibilities, but “vigorously refutes” any effort to influence electoral content.
The Romanian presidential election concluded with centrist Nicusor Dan defeating nationalist rival George Simion, a development welcomed by EU leaders concerned about rising far-right influence.
Simion commented on Durov’s claim, saying it was unclear if it was true but suggested Telegram may not have been the only platform approached.
Durov’s post was amplified by Elon Musk, who wrote “Wow” in response. Musk has previously criticized European governments for allegedly suppressing right-wing voices and is himself under investigation in France for potential algorithmic bias on X.
Telegram has reaffirmed it will not block political channels or interfere with user content in Romania. The French foreign ministry also denied interference and called for respect for democratic processes.
Meanwhile, Romanian President-elect Dan accused Durov of “unauthorized interference” and attempting to influence the election.
The incident has reignited debates around free speech, tech platform responsibilities, and political influence in Europe’s digital space.