Latest news with #SalondesBatailles
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Telegram's Durov says French spy chief asked him to ban conservative Romanian voices
PARIS: Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, has accused the head of France's foreign intelligence agency of asking him to ban Romanian conservative voices ahead of the country's elections, adding he refused the request. Russian-born Durov is currently under judicial supervision in France, holed up in Paris' glitzy Crillon hotel after being placed under formal investigation for alleged organized crime on Telegram. He said it was there that Nicolas Lerner, who leads the DGSE foreign spy agency, approached him. 'This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused,' Durov wrote on X late on Sunday. 'We didn't block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won't start doing it in Europe.' The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, won Romania's presidential election on Sunday in a shock victory over George Simion, a hard-right, nationalist rival who had pledged to adopt a path inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump's politics. The Romanian result was a relief for EU leaders in Brussels, where there is concern that popular anger with mainstream elites over migration and cost of living pressures could bolster support for far-right parties and erode unity on the continent over how to deal with Russia. France's DGSE said in a statement its officials had indeed met with Durov various times over the years 'to firmly remind him of his company's responsibilities, and his own personally, in preventing terrorist and child pornography threats.' However, the DGSE 'vigorously refutes the allegations that requests to ban accounts related to any electoral process were made on these occasions,' it said. MUSK TAKES NOTE Simion said it was not known whether the allegations were true, and if Durov had been warned, 'Telegram was certainly not the only one approached,' he told Reuters. Durov's accusation was reposted on X by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, one of various powerful figures on the U.S. right who have accused European nations of suppressing far-right voices. 'Wow,' Musk wrote. Durov had earlier on Sunday while polls were open said he had refused a request by a Western government to silence conservative voices ahead of the Romania run-off vote. 'Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels,' Durov said, adding an emoji of a baguette that implied it was France. The French foreign ministry denied any such interference and called on all to 'exercise responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy.' Romania's president-elect Dan said on Sunday Durov's comments constituted 'unauthorized interference by a social media platform in the electoral process' and 'a clear attempt to influence the outcome of the Romanian presidential election.' The arrest of Durov last year ignited a debate about free speech online. Musk, who criticized the arrest of Durov, is also being probed by French prosecutors over alleged algorithmic bias on X. Musk has used X to personally support right-wing parties and causes in countries including Germany and Britain, leading to concerns about undue foreign interference. Earlier this month, OpenMinds, a tech company focused on countering authoritarian influence, said it found that 24% of Romanian-language Telegram channels were spreading what it called Kremlin-backed disinformation. Telegram said at the time users receive only the content they explicitly subscribe to.
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Telegram's Pavel Durov says French spy chief asked him to ban conservative Romanian voices
Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, has accused the head of France's foreign intelligence agency Nicolas Lerner of asking him to ban Romanian conservative voices ahead of the country's elections, adding he refused the request. Russian-born Durov is currently under judicial supervision in France, holed up in Paris' glitzy Crillon hotel after being placed under formal investigation for alleged organised crime on Telegram. He said it was there that Lerner, who leads the DGSE foreign spy agency, approached him. "This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused," Durov wrote on X late on Sunday. "We didn't block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won't start doing it in Europe." The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, won Romania's presidential election on Sunday in a shock upset over George Simion, a hard-right, nationalist rival who had pledged to adopt a path inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump's politics. The Romanian result was a relief for centrist policymakers in Brussels where there is concern that popular anger with mainstream elites over migration and cost of living pressures could bolster support for far-right parties and erode unity on the continent over how to deal with Russia. France's DGSE said in a statement its officials had indeed met with Durov various times over the years "to firmly remind him of his company's responsibilities, and his own personally, in preventing terrorist and child pornography threats." However, the DGSE "vigorously refutes the allegations that requests to ban accounts related to any electoral process were made on these occasions," it said. Durov's accusation was reposted on X by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, one of various powerful figures on the U.S. right who have accused European nations of suppressing far-right voices. "Wow," Musk wrote. Durov had earlier on Sunday said he had refused a request by a Western government to silence conservative voices ahead of the Romania run-off vote. "Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels," Durov said, adding an emoji of a baguette that implied it was France. The French foreign ministry denied any such interference and called on all to "exercise responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy." The arrest of Durov last year ignited a debate about free speech online. Musk, who criticised the arrest of Durov, is also being probed by French prosecutors over alleged algorithmic bias on X. Musk has used X to personally support right-wing parties and causes in countries including Germany and Britain, leading to concerns about undue foreign interference.
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Telegram's Durov says French spy chief asked him to ban conservative Romanian voices
FILE PHOTO: Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo PARIS - Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, has accused the head of France's foreign intelligence agency Nicolas Lerner of asking him to ban Romanian conservative voices ahead of the country's elections, adding he refused the request. Russian-born Durov is currently under judicial supervision in France, holed up in Paris' glitzy Crillon hotel after being placed under formal investigation for alleged organized crime on Telegram. He said it was there that Lerner, who leads the DGSE foreign spy agency, approached him. "This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused," Durov wrote on X late on Sunday. "We didn't block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won't start doing it in Europe." The centrist mayor of Bucharest, Nicusor Dan, won Romania's presidential election on Sunday in a shock upset over George Simion, a hard-right, nationalist rival who had pledged to adopt a path inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump's politics. The Romanian result was a relief for centrist policymakers in Brussels where there is concern that popular anger with mainstream elites over migration and cost of living pressures could bolster support for far-right parties and erode unity on the continent over how to deal with Russia. France's DGSE said in a statement its officials had indeed met with Durov various times over the years "to firmly remind him of his company's responsibilities, and his own personally, in preventing terrorist and child pornography threats." However, the DGSE "vigorously refutes the allegations that requests to ban accounts related to any electoral process were made on these occasions," it said. MUSK TAKES NOTE Durov's accusation was reposted on X by U.S. billionaire Elon Musk, one of various powerful figures on the U.S. right who have accused European nations of suppressing far-right voices. "Wow," Musk wrote. Durov had earlier on Sunday said he had refused a request by a Western government to silence conservative voices ahead of the Romania run-off vote. "Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels," Durov said, adding an emoji of a baguette that implied it was France. The French foreign ministry denied any such interference and called on all to "exercise responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy." The arrest of Durov last year ignited a debate about free speech online. Musk, who criticized the arrest of Durov, is also being probed by French prosecutors over alleged algorithmic bias on X. Musk has used X to personally support right-wing parties and causes in countries including Germany and Britain, leading to concerns about undue foreign interference. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
‘I refused': Telegram CEO Pavel Durov alleges French interference in Romanian elections
File photo: Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram (Picture credit: X/@durov) Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram , claimed on Sunday that he rejected a direct request from French intelligence to block conservative voices in Romania ahead of the country's presidential election runoff. In a series of explosive posts on his Telegram channel, Durov alleged that Nicolas Lerner, the head of France's DGSI (domestic intelligence agency), personally approached him during a meeting in Paris this spring. 'This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections,' Durov wrote. 'I refused. We didn't block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won't start doing it in Europe.' Earlier, Durov had cryptically hinted at the country involved, writing, 'A Western European government (guess which 🥖) approached Telegram asking us to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of today's presidential elections. I flatly refused.' He continued, 'You can't 'defend democracy' by destroying democracy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo 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.' France denies allegations France swiftly rejected the accusations. The French foreign ministry posted on X that 'completely unfounded allegations are circulating on Telegram and Twitter (X) regarding alleged French interference in the Romanian presidential election . France categorically rejects these allegations and calls on everyone to exercise responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy.' Durov's claims surfaced just hours before polls closed in Romania's high-stakes runoff between centrist independent Nicușor Dan and hard-right nationalist George Simion. As per The New York Times, Dan, a mathematics professor and the mayor of Bucharest, won with 54% of the vote, defeating Simion, who secured 46%. Simion, aligned with Trump-style populism and sceptical of EU policies, preemptively claimed fraud, warning of 'dead people' on voter rolls without providing evidence. 'We are the clear winners of these elections,' he told supporters before results were confirmed. The election follows a contentious period in Romanian politics. As per Reuters, a previous presidential vote was annulled due to alleged Russian interference, claims denied by Moscow, which had reportedly benefited ultranationalist Calin Georgescu, later banned from running. Durov, who was detained in France last year in an unrelated investigation into Telegram's role in enabling illicit activity, has remained a controversial figure. According to The New York Times, he was charged with complicity in crimes like child sexual abuse distribution and drug trafficking. Durov denies the allegations and argues Telegram exceeds its legal responsibilities regarding content moderation.
Straits Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Telegram founder says France asked him to ban conservative Romanian voices
FILE PHOTO: Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov delivers a keynote speech during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain February 23, 2016. REUTERS/Albert Gea/File Photo Telegram founder says France asked him to ban conservative Romanian voices PARIS - The founder of the Telegram messaging app, Pavel Durov, said he refused a request by the head of France's intelligence service to ban Romanian conservative voices ahead of the country's elections. Romania's centrist Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, won the presidential election on Sunday in a shock upset over a hard-right, nationalist rival who had pledged to adopt a path inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump's politics. "This spring at the Salon des Batailles in the Hôtel de Crillon, Nicolas Lerner, head of French intelligence, asked me to ban conservative voices in Romania ahead of elections. I refused," Durov wrote on X late on Sunday. "We didn't block protesters in Russia, Belarus, or Iran. We won't start doing it in Europe." Earlier on Sunday, the French foreign ministry had denied any such interference after Durov implied French involvement in a prior message on Telegram the same day. That initial message had referred to France by implication, with the emoji of a baguette, but did not name it explicitly. "France categorically rejects these allegations and calls on everyone to exercise responsibility and respect for Romanian democracy," the foreign ministry said. Reuters is seeking comment from the intelligence services. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
