A major tech figure pushed back against a behind-the-scenes attempt to suppress political discourse in Romania just days before its pivotal presidential run-off. Telegram founder Pavel Durov disclosed that his platform had been pressured by an unnamed Western European government to cut off conservative voices in the country; a demand he said he refused outright.
Durov, posting on Telegram, said the request was made with the intent of curbing speech ahead of Sunday’s election. “A Western European government…approached Telegram, asking us to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of today’s presidential elections. I flatly refused.”
He stressed that Telegram would not serve as a tool for political manipulation, adding, “Telegram will not restrict the freedoms of Romanian users or block their political channels.” He included in the post a baguette emoji, alluding to France.
In the same message, Durov sharply criticized the contradiction of suppressing speech in the name of protecting democracy: “You can’t ‘defend democracy’ by destroying democracy. You can’t ‘fight election interference’ by interfering with elections.”
The runoff pitted a conservative populist, George Simion, against centrist independent Nicușor Dan, in a race that follows a chaotic first round and a canceled election last November.
Nicușor Dan won in a victory described by Politico as being a “major surprise.”
The previous vote was nullified over alleged Russian meddling in support of Călin Georgescu, a conservative figure who is now disqualified from running.
More: Welcome to the EU’s Election Cleanroom Where Only Approved Opinions Survive Online
As tensions rose before the final vote, Romania’s approach to online speech has triggered alarm far beyond nationalist circles. Emergency rules rushed through earlier this year to combat “disinformation” are now facing backlash from civil society groups, digital rights advocates, and even pro-EU lawmakers. Many are calling the new laws excessively broad and dangerously vague.
The regulations, enacted without prior public consultation, impose strict obligations on platforms to remove flagged content within five hours or risk heavy fines. Over 4,000 takedown orders have been issued since April, the majority affecting TikTok posts.
Though originally framed as a measure against foreign interference, in practice they have swept up posts from regular citizens — many of them aligned with the nationalist side of the political spectrum.
Among the content flagged: a short video showing a man clapping to music with a caption supporting Simion and Georgescu. The man, with under 150 followers, mainly posts clips about his child. Other takedowns targeted videos posted by influencers and local politicians voicing support for Simion — some of whom may not even meet the legal definition of “political actors.”
Authorities argue that anyone repeatedly sharing political messages is subject to the rules. Any statement that can be read as encouraging or discouraging support for a candidate qualifies as “political advertising.” These classifications, however, have proven deeply contentious, prompting legal challenges.
