Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has accused French intelligence of attempting to interfere in Moldova’s 2024 presidential elections by requesting the platform to censor specific channels. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, shared Durov’s claims on his X account, expressing support for the allegations. Duroy stated that the French intelligence agency offered him legal help in a pending case in France in exchange for complying with the censorship requests, which he refused. He claims some of the flagged channels were legitimate and expressed views unpopular with Moldovan and French authorities. The accusations have sparked a diplomatic dispute, with Paris denying the allegations. Moldovan President Maia Sandu, who holds a pro-EU stance, was re-elected in 2024 amid claims of electoral irregularities and allegations of vote manipulation involving Moldova’s diaspora in the EU.