this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/64363784

The founder of the Telegram messaging app said on Sunday he had refused a request by a Western government, which he did not name but appeared to imply was France, to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of a presidential election run-off there.

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[–] pulsey@feddit.org 51 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

and with "conservative" voices, they probably mean fascist, undemocratic (pro-russian) voices.

[–] nimpnin@sopuli.xyz 10 points 3 days ago (2 children)

I mean sure but I really wouldn't like a random foreign country requesting cencorship to sway my elections even if it was to combat bad things™. Though it's not like Russia isn't doing the same thing too.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 15 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I really wouldn’t like a random foreign country … to sway my elections

You mean like Russian disinformation campaigns, where this article no doubt ultimately originates.

[–] nimpnin@sopuli.xyz 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Maybe criticize Durov then instead?

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

The lies are told by Durov himself. I still wonder why this article originates in Moscow.

instead

Why not both?

[–] doodledup@lemmy.world 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Telegram is a Russian app and Durov is loyal to Russia.

[–] nimpnin@sopuli.xyz 1 points 3 days ago

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/telegram-founder-says-he-rejects-request-silence-conservative-voices-romania-2025-05-18/

MOSCOW, May 18 (Reuters) - The founder of the Telegram messaging app said on Sunday he had refused a request by a Western government, which he did not name but appeared to imply was France, to silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of a presidential election run-off there.

[–] randomname@scribe.disroot.org 10 points 3 days ago

I really wouldn’t like a random foreign country ... to sway my elections

This is why there is some reason to worry when the European Commission preliminarily finds TikTok's ad repository in breach of the Digital Services Act, potentially swaying elections

[–] Kekzkrieger@feddit.org 22 points 3 days ago

Sure he says that but can he proof it? Easy to say stuff like the founder of Telegram is a pigboy who works for Putler but without proof what is that worth.

I even say nothing this shit person says can be taken serious.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 23 points 3 days ago

"Conservative voices" that totally didn't call for racial and gender segregation, violence against minorities and genocide, no sir!

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (4 children)

MOSCOW - I don't think that's where the Telegram founder Pavel Durov resides, and that's not where Telegram resides.

~~So that alone tells us what this news article is worth, how objective and factual it is likely to be.~~ *

I fucking hate Telegram. Its encryption is weak, its servers completely opaque, Durov's loyalties unclear. A long time ago it did not require a phone number to register and from that time it gained a reputation of being truly anonymous and, yes, safe. Some even paint Durov as some sort of digital hero who's being pursued by "Western" governments. More Russian dis(torted)information propaganda.


* There's a Reuters article that says the same as this article. Even starting with MOSCOW, too, but never explaining how this article even comes from Moscow. I wonder how Reuter's gets this stuff (they must be starved for actionable information from Russia), but my guess is that for once it suits Russia to spread the truth because Durov already said the lies, so quoting him is technically the truth.

[–] albert180@piefed.social 1 points 3 days ago

The only reason to use Telegram is NexusSTC

[–] rdri@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Its encryption is weak, its servers completely opaque

Does this mean someone actually can do something to data submitted by me to telegram servers, or my encrypted chats? If that's so I'd like to know a concrete example or a workflow.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

My phrasing was wrong; MTProto 1.0 was weak. 2.0 is apparently better. However:

because all communication, including plaintext and ciphertext, passes through Telegram servers, and because the server is responsible for choosing Diffie–Hellman parameters, the "server should not be considered as trusted."

[–] rdri@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

That's different from what I asked. It's about the other users or hackers, not services. I already live under assumption that no server of any service can be trusted.

[–] nimpnin@sopuli.xyz -1 points 3 days ago

Apropos the edit: No you're not getting away with this. The linked article is copy pasted from the Reuters article. It is the Reuters article.

So what you're taking issue with is one of the most reputable Western news sources doing their job, as clinically and unbiasedly as they always do. They don't editorialize.

You are acting like one of those Russia bots in the comment sections that we all are so familiar with.

[–] nimpnin@sopuli.xyz -2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

The story is identical to the one on reuters.com. There is no propagandistic phrasing of things, the article states what different parties claim, and refers to the French foreign ministry, which makes it undoubtably relevant. I don't know how that can be possibly misconstrued as biased or factually shakey.

So thank you for eurofied mccarthyism. Really doesn't make it any easier to navigate around Russian propaganda when you pollute the information ecosystem. And also voids your reasonable criticism of Telegram and Durov BTW.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

If I'm a eurofied mccarthyist, I guess that makes you a tankie then? Not that either is true.

You are way too insulting and aggressive to have a discussion with.

[–] nimpnin@sopuli.xyz -2 points 3 days ago

You are way too insulting and aggressive to have a discussion with.

You spread misinformation and somehow you're also the victim here.

[–] Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 3 days ago

Does Durov have anything to support his claims?

French intelligence rejects Telegram founder's claim of Romania vote meddling

France's foreign intelligence service on Monday rejected claims from Telegram founder Pavel Durov that its chief had requested the tech mogul to ban pro-conservative Romanian accounts from the platform ahead of weekend elections.

Durov was sensationally detained in Paris in 2024 and is under formal investigation by French authorities over illegal content on his popular service [...]

[–] pastermil@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

Well, turned out it wasn't necessary.

[–] latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

As a Leftist Romanian, this is not how to do things (at least not while things are still relatively reasonable)...

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Left compromises until it switches to the Right, I know, but we do still need a few standards and boundaries, ffs...

If this was about another misinformation campaign, post that shit publicly! Point your finger at it and keep that finger pointed, make a public mockery of these vile behaviours! But if it's just The Other People™ sharing ideas and discussing, then... what the fuck is your business with it? Isn't that the exact same thing we're doing? There still needs to be discourse, there needs to be communication! We can't just silence voices as it pleases us, that's what the fucking Nazis WANT! We do still have to fight nice and clean for a while, set the example.

Within limits, of course! If the Right starts throwing pocket sand, then kicks to the groin are back on the menu, y'know what I mean? But until then, stop fucking about! You're just feeding into their nonsense machine!