The government told Moneycontrol that the messaging app could be banned based on the findings of the investigation. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris last week as the platform’s content-related compromises faced international scrutiny.
With the Indian government probing alleged misuse of Telegram in crimes such as extortion and gambling, a government official said the messaging app could be banned based on the findings of the survey.
The development comes days after Telegram’s 39-year-old founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris on August 24 over the app’s regulatory authority. The report said the app was shut down due to its failure to prevent violations.
“The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) (under the MHA) and MeitY are looking into P2P communications on Telegram,” an official told Moneycontrol on August 25 on condition of anonymity.
The minister said the investigations conducted by the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) particularly looked at offences such as extortion and gambling.
The executive did not rule out blocking the platform, which has over 5 million registered users in India, but said the decision would be based on an impact assessment.
In recent years, Telegram and other social media platforms have emerged as a breeding ground for fraud, including scams that have cost citizens dearly.
Telegram has been in the news recently over the UGC-NEET controversy, which led to protests by students and forced the Supreme Court to intervene. The entrance exam questionnaire was leaked and reportedly shared widely on Telegram, a messaging app.
The Telegram investigation
The violations that I4C and MeitY are investigating are not related to the Information Technology (IT) Act.
“The platform is compliant with IT rules,” the official said.
The IT rules require platforms like Telegram to appoint a nodal officer and a compliance officer and publish monthly compliance reports.
“There are difficulties in dealing with Telegram because they are not present in India,” the official said. Authorities often face difficulties in searching platforms that do not have operations in India.
The lack of a local office hinders direct communication, making it difficult to request user information.
“We will review the things we have found and come to a conclusion in accordance with our policy,” the director said.
Durov was arrested at Bourget airport outside Paris by French authorities, who said there was no guard on Telegram.
The incident allegedly allowed violations to go unchecked on the messaging app, the report said.
In a statement released early on August 26, the company said, “Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and he frequently travels in Europe. Nearly a thousand users around the world use Telegram to create communications and important information. Telegram’s current solution is awaited by all of you… It is unbelievable that the platform or its owner is a laughing stock for the misuse of the platform.”
Chequered past
This is not the first time that Telegram has faced scrutiny in India.
In October, the IT ministry had issued notices to Telegram and some social media companies directing them to remove child abuse material (CSAM) from their platforms.
On May 23, the government, based on recommendations from the domestic watchdog, blocked several communication websites such as Briar, Element, Germany-based Creepvisor, UK-based Enigma, Switzerland-based SafeSwiss and AWS-owned Wickr Eye.
Also read: False bomb threats, harassed police: Why India wants to block ProtonMail, and is it worth it?
Most recently, the IT ministry has overseen the blocking of end-to-end encrypted email platform ProtonMail, which has been misused to send explosives to schools, malls and even airports.
Swiss authorities had to intervene to stop the government from going ahead with the ban.
Support for Durov (Telegram CEO)
Durov’s arrest was condemned by major tech leaders.
Former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden called the arrests “an attack on people’s right to free speech and association”.
American businessman Balaji Srinivasan said the French government’s methodology is more about counter-terrorism management.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin said that although he had criticized Telegram’s approach to access in the past, the arrests have raised concerns about the future of freedom of expression in Europe.
