• Pavel Durov accuses French intelligence of attempting to manipulate Moldova's presidential elections.
• Durov claims he was asked to censor Telegram channels in exchange for favorable treatment from French authorities.
• The French government responded, criticizing Durov's repeated accusations amid election periods.
• Telegram maintains its commitment to free speech and opposes political censorship.
• This incident reflects ongoing tensions in Eastern Europe's political landscape.

Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, has made serious allegations against French intelligence, claiming they sought to influence Moldova's presidential elections by requesting the censorship of specific Telegram channels. According to Durov, this request was made through an intermediary while he was detained in France and allegedly involved a quid pro quo for favorable statements regarding his ongoing legal situation in France. He described the request as "unacceptable on several levels," asserting that if the agency contacted the judge overseeing his case, it would represent judicial interference, while if not, it would indicate an exploitation of his legal troubles to influence political outcomes in Moldova, as previously noted in Romania, according to Reuters and TRT Global.

Durov disclosed that Telegram initially removed some channels from a list provided by French intelligence that violated its platform's rules. However, a subsequent list largely targeted legitimate channels that voiced political views unfavorable to the Moldovan and French governments, which Telegram refused to censor. Durov emphasized that "Telegram is committed to freedom of speech and will not remove content for political reasons,” a statement that highlights the platform's stance against undue external pressures, according to India Times and Reuters.