French spies defy Durov’s censorship clam

(MENAFN) France’s foreign intelligence agency has refuted claims made by Telegram founder Pavel Durov that it pressured him to censor political content on the platform. Durov had previously stated that a Western European government, which he suggested was France, requested that he block conservative Romanian content ahead of Romania’s presidential runoff. After Paris denied involvement, Durov specifically named Nicolas Lerner, head of France's Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), as the official who allegedly made the request.

In a statement issued on Monday, the DGSE clarified that while it had been in contact with Durov on several occasions, its focus had been on reminding him of his responsibilities to prevent terrorist and child exploitation content. The agency denied any allegations of political interference.

The conflict stems from a period of political tension as Romania held its rerun of the presidential election. On Sunday, pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan narrowly defeated Euroskeptic George Simion in the runoff. A previous election was annulled after the first round saw unexpected support for right-wing independent Calin Georgescu. Romania’s Constitutional Court invalidated that vote, citing alleged Russian interference, a claim Moscow denied.

Meanwhile, Romania’s Foreign Ministry also accused Russia of attempting to influence the recent runoff, although no evidence has been provided.

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