Pavel Durov rejects EU pressure to censor Romanian election content
Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated he rejected pressure from a European Union (EU) nation to censor political content on the social media platform forward of the May 18 presidential elections in Romania.
According to Durov, a Western European authorities, which he hinted at with a baguette emoji, approached the platform and requested it censor conservative voices, which he flatly denied. Durov wrote in a May 18 Telegram submit:
“You can’t ‘defend democracy’ by destroying democracy. You can’t ‘fight election interference’ by interfering with elections. You either have freedom of speech and fair elections — or you don’t. And the Romanian people deserve both.”
The Telegram founder is an ardent defender of free speech, who is extremely regarded within the crypto group for his stances on freedom of expression, autonomy, privateness, and particular person liberty.
Related: Pavel Durov says Telegram would exit markets earlier than betraying customers
Durov thrust into the highlight following arrest in France
Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August 2024, sparking widespread condemnation from the crypto group and free speech advocates worldwide, who accused the French authorities of orchestrating a politically-motivated arrest.
French President Emmanuel Macron denied the arrest was political whereas claiming the French authorities was “committed to freedom of expression and communication” in an August 26 X submit.
“You can’t keep founders personally liable, and charge them up to 20 years, for not moderating speech, and at the same time claim you are deeply committed to freedom of expression,” Helius Labs CEO Mert Mumtaz wrote in response to Macron.
Shortly after Durov’s arrest, Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of Rumble — a free speech on-line video platform — introduced that he safely departed the European Union after France threatened Rumble.
The CEO additionally criticized the French authorities for the arrest of the Telegram co-founder, characterizing it as an try to pressure him into censoring speech on the platform.
Durov maintains that Telegram complies with lawful info requests made by legislation enforcement officers and stated that the corporate has a authorized consultant in France who handles such requests.
The Telegram co-founder additionally criticized the French authorities for bypassing the authorized consultant and selecting to challenge an arrest warrant as an alternative.
Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit against the law? Crypto legal professionals weigh in
