Crypto community rallies as Telegram founder Pavel Durov rejects EU censorship

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has publicly rejected a request from a Western European government to censor conservative voices on the platform ahead of Romania’s presidential runoff election.

In a Telegram post on May 18, Durov emphasized the importance of free speech and fair elections, stating, “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.”

Durov did not identify the government. But his deployment of a baguette emoji was broadly interpreted as invoking France.

The timing raised concern, as Romania was amid a heated presidential election. There are also reports that the censorship request was designed to quash conservative commentary contrary to the official narrative.

France’s foreign ministry has denied any involvement. It called for “respecting the democratic process” in Romania, a statement released by Reuters said.

Despite this, many cheered Durov’s stand — particularly in the global crypto and tech communities.

Crypto leaders praise Durov’s defiance

Several leaders in the cryptocurrency community praised Mr. Durov’s defiance. Telegram has become a respected platform within crypto circles.

He is viewed as a guardian of digital freedom — promoting privacy, encryption, and the freedom of expression. His Telegram app is popular with crypto developers, traders, and privacy advocates.

The crypto community rallied around him after his May 18 post. Other tech leaders reposted his message, applauding him for taking a stand against government pressure. Some expressed the nudge as a “gold standard” to which other platforms should aspire during politically fraught times.

Others cited Telegram’s history. While other platforms often cooperate with government takedown requests, Telegram has largely held out, keeping a hands-off approach — particularly around political speech. The platform has become a lifeline for independent voices in countries where media freedom is sagging.

Durov’s position only reinforces that perception. Chris Pavlovski, the CEO of the free-speech video platform Rumble, also expressed his support. He said that more tech founders who were willing to take such a stand were needed.

Freedom of speech and decentralization are two sides of the same coin, crypto advocates say. To them, Durov is not simply the steward of a messaging app — he is the defender of the communications infrastructure of free thought in the digital age.

Durov’s arrest sparked free-speech debate

Durov has had a tumultuous relationship with European governments. In August 2024, Durov was arrested at a Paris airport. French police alleged the arrest was connected to a criminal inquiry into the sharing of illegal content over Telegram, including alleged drug sales and extremism propaganda.

The arrest sparked outrage. It was broadly viewed as a politically motivated push. Critics said France pressured Telegram to force the app to implement tighter controls and more censorship.

On August 26, French President Emmanuel Macron denied these allegations, affirming France’s commitment to freedom of expression and communication. However, his statements did little to convince leaders in the crypto community.

The chief executive of Helius Labs, Mert Mumtaz, said it was hypocritical for founders to be held personally responsible and face a potential 20-year prison sentence for failure to moderate speech while at the same time professing to care greatly about freedom of expression.

Durov subsequently said that Telegram responds to valid law enforcement requests. The company has a lawyer in France and responds to such requests there.

What was concerning, he said, was that authorities skirted this system and issued an arrest warrant instead.

He called it not an attack on him but on the most fundamental values of law and justice.

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