French Intelligence Tries to Censor Moldova Election Posts – Durov Says Nope! 🤷♂️🇫🇷

by

Picture this: it’s a crisp Parisian afternoon, and Pavel Durov, Telegram’s co-founder, is sipping espresso while fielding a call from French intelligence. “Hey, can you just… *ahem*… quietly delete some Moldovan election posts? Oh, and we’ll say nice things to your judge.” Durov’s response? A polite “non merci” and a raised eyebrow that could probably be seen from the Eiffel Tower. 🇫🇷

Telegram initially yanked posts that were so obviously against the rules, even my cat could spot them. But when France and Moldova started sending lists of channels that were “problematic” only because they disagreed with the content, Durov threw up his hands and said, “Sorry, folks, but I don’t censor based on political preferences. Not even for a free croissant.” 🥐

“We received a second list of so-called ‘problematic’ Moldovan channels. Unlike the first, nearly all were legitimate. Their only crime? Having opinions the French and Moldovan governments disliked. We refused to play along.”

The crypto crowd, ever the drama queens, threw Durov a virtual parade after his 2024 arrest. Meanwhile, he’s been busy roasting the EU for its “let’s monitor every encrypted chat” proposal, which he calls “the digital equivalent of peeking at your neighbor’s grocery list.” 🛒

In May 2025, Durov reminded everyone of a previous showdown with French intel over Romanian election posts. “You can’t ‘defend democracy’ by smothering it,” he wrote. “It’s like saying you love pie but hate apple.” 🍎

France, according to Durov, is “one bad policy away from societal collapse,” thanks to censorship and “government incompetence so profound, it makes a sitcom look realistic.” 🎬

Telegram’s stance? Exit jurisdictions like France before handing over encryption keys. “We’d rather vanish than become the NSA’s new best friend,” Durov declared. “Privacy isn’t optional-it’s a hobby.” 🎨

And just when you thought the EU couldn’t get weirder, 19 member nations backed a proposal to monitor *all* encrypted chats. Because nothing says “trust” like turning messaging apps into digital nosy neighbors. 🕵️♂️

Read More

2025-09-28 20:19