Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized the European Union after it announced a fine against the social media platform X for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act. Durov argued that the EU is setting “impossible rules” to punish technology companies that refuse to silently censor freedom of speech. He claimed this pattern had already appeared in France, where, according to him, baseless criminal proceedings were opened and security services then offered “help” if Telegram agreed to discreetly restrict speech in Romania and Moldova. 

The European Commission said X was fined due to misleading use of the blue verification checkmark, a lack of transparency in its ads library, and insufficient access for researchers to the platform’s public data under the DSA’s obligations.

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