Durov says Telegram was punished in France after refusing censorship demands
Telegram founder Pavel Durov used the two-year mark of the France Telegram case to accuse authorities of targeting the platform because it refused censorship requests. The criminal investigation in France began in August 2024 and is still ongoing. Durov said the case has weakened as more evidence related to Telegram’s moderation record has accumulated. He also said officials in multiple countries had privately asked Telegram for political favors, including censorship and surveillance requests that he considers illegal. According to Durov, refusing such demands can trigger campaigns by local media outlets and advocacy groups. He added that he had previously described requests tied to elections in Romania and Moldova. Telegram’s safety page says the platform has blocked 23.6 million groups and channels this year, including 370,777 linked to child abuse material and 164,099 tied to terrorist content. Durov also argued that, in his view, other platforms have avoided similar scrutiny. The Telegram-linked token GRAM traded at about $1.47 on Monday, down roughly 3% over the past 24 hours.






