Elon Musk has reacted to Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s explosive claim that French intelligence tried to interfere in Moldova’s 2024 presidential election by pressuring him to censor certain Telegram channels, reports RT.
Musk reposted Durov’s statement on X (formerly Twitter) with a single-word comment: “Wow.”
Durov, who holds French citizenship, made the allegation on Sunday—just as Moldovans returned to the polls for parliamentary elections. He claimed that France’s domestic intelligence agency approached him last year, asking Telegram to block channels ahead of the Moldovan vote. In return, the agency allegedly offered assistance in a criminal case pending against him in France.
“While some of the channels did violate Telegram’s rules and were removed, others merely voiced opinions unpopular with French and Moldovan authorities,” Durov stated.
Calling the request “unacceptable,” Durov accused French officials of attempting to exploit his legal situation for political gain and interfere with the judicial process.
Durov was arrested in Paris in August 2024 and charged with complicity in crimes linked to Telegram users, including the distribution of extremist content and child exploitation material. He was later released on €5 million ($5.4 million) bail and remains under judicial supervision.
The French government has strongly denied the accusations.
Moldova’s 2024 presidential election saw the re-election of pro-EU President Maia Sandu, though opposition parties alleged voting irregularities, particularly among diaspora voters in the European Union.
This is not the first time Durov has made such claims. Earlier this year, he accused French intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner of trying to pressure him into censoring conservative voices in Romania ahead of its May election rerun—an offer Durov said he refused.
Musk responded to that earlier post as well, writing: “Hear, hear!” in support of Durov’s stance against censorship.
The incident raises broader concerns about government overreach, digital platform independence, and the use of legal pressure to influence content moderation—particularly during election cycles in fragile democracies.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
