Pavel Durov Accuses French Media of Smear Campaign as Le Monde Crowdsources Complaints About Telegram

Key Takeaways

• Pavel Durov has accused Le Monde of orchestrating a smear campaign against Telegram
• Durov’s latest gripe concerns a Le Monde survey about the use of Telegram to illegally stream sporting events.
• He said the survey “is part of a broader strategy” to discredit Telegram.

Pavel Durov has accused Le Monde of orchestrating an attack campaign against Telegram after France’s most-read newspaper invited its readers to report their illicit use of the platform.

In a message on his personal Telegram channel, Durov lambasted Le Monde’s negative coverage and accused the publication of violating basic journalistic ethics.

Telegram’s Treatment by Le Monde

To prove his point about Le Monde, Durov shared a list of 48 articles published by the newspaper that depicted Telegram in a negative light.

Of these, 40 were published within seven weeks of Durov’s arrest in Paris last year. He claims the publication only asked Telegram for comments in 37 of these,  “and always ignored the factual corrections we sent them.”

In the latest example of what Durov views as Le Monde’s hit pieces, the paper invited readers to share their experiences of pirating sports content, presumably for an investigation into illicit streaming.

The survey asks: “Do you regularly watch Ligue 1 or the Champions League by searching for pirated streams on a social network, especially Telegram?”

“Part of a Broader Strategy”

Commenting on Le Monde’s latest investigation, Durov said: “This attempt to crowdsource a negative story about us appears to be part of a broader strategy.”

In contrast to elsewhere, he argued, the French press has overwhelmingly focused on negative stories about Telegram. Meanwhile, he suggested that the mainstream French media had suppressed more positive depictions of the company.

“Such a media environment is alarming,” Durov warned.

Telegram in the News

While Durov may feel victimized, scandal sells. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that Le Monde has jumped on headlines like “Pedocriminality on Telegram” and “He Became a Hitman at 18 After Being Recruited on Telegram.”

Among France’s more libertarian-leaning media outlets, there has also been plenty of coverage criticizing the French authorities’ crackdown on Telegram.

Moreover, elsewhere, coverage of Telegram and its founder remains more balanced.

For example, Durov found a sympathetic audience in Tucker Carlson, whose YouTube show he appeared on recently to discuss his arrest.

In the interview, Durov was highly critical of French authorities, who he said didn’t give him or Telegram due process.

Moreover, he argued that the entire investigation into Telegram was built on faulty premises and that the platform has always complied with relevant laws.