Indian authorities are investigating Telegram for hacking and gambling concerns. The search may be narrowed down to what is led by I4C, according to MHA and MeitY.
According to a Moneycontrol report, the Indian government is investigating messaging app Telegram with concerns that it is being used for activities such as extortion and gambling. They said the app could be banned based on the findings of the investigation.
The investigation is being conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
This comes after Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris on August 24 over his app’s policy, which was reported to include a failure to prevent illegal activities on the platform. Tech billionaire Elon Musk and whistleblower Edward Snowden criticised the arrest.
Will Telegram be banned in India?
The report said that the final decision will be based on the results of the investigation. Telegram complies with India’s Information Technology (IT) regulations, which require a platform to appoint a nodal officer, a compliance officer, and issue monthly compliance reports.
