France Denies Pressuring Telegram for Censorship
(MENAFN) France’s foreign intelligence service has dismissed accusations that its director exerted pressure on Telegram founder Pavel Durov to censor political content on the messaging platform.
Durov stated on Sunday that a Western European nation, which he implied was France, had urged him to block conservative Romanian content on Telegram ahead of the country's presidential runoff.
After Paris denied any involvement, Durov revealed that Nicolas Lerner, the head of the Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), was the individual behind the request.
On Monday, the DGSE responded to French media outlets, clarifying that it had reached out to Durov several times.
However, the agency emphasized that its contact was solely to “firmly remind him of his company’s responsibilities, and his own personally, in preventing terrorist and child pornography threats.”
The DGSE rejected any claims of political interference in Telegram's operations.
Durov had been arrested in France last August after arriving at Le Bourget Airport.
He was charged with complicity in crimes allegedly committed by Telegram users, including extremism and child abuse offenses.
After being released on EURO5 million (USD5.46 million) bail, the Russian-born entrepreneur, whose company is based in Dubai, left France with official permission in mid-March.
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