Telegram, a messaging service, is coming under more scrutiny globally as governments try to reconcile the apps role in promoting free speech with security risks. In recent years, the platform—which is renowned for its robust encryption and user privacy features—has drawn controversy. The difficulties facing Telegram escalated when its CEO and co-founder, Pavel Durov, was recently arrested close to Paris in relation to an inquiry into possible offenses linked to the app, such as drug trafficking and organized crime. In a prompt response, Telegram said that "Durov has nothing to hide" and described the accusations as "absurd."

In many places of the world, Telegram is still an essential tool for organizing and promoting free speech in spite of these difficulties. For instance, the app was vital in assisting activists with information sharing and coordination during protests in Thailand and Belarus.

There have been other conflicts between Telegram and different governments, this one being the most recent. Over 3 billion individuals worldwide are impacted by the 31 nations that have imposed temporary or permanent bans on the platform since 2015, according to statistics from Surfshark and Netblocks. The list of nations where Telegram is prohibited or under investigation is provided here.

United Kingdom: Calls for tighter regulation arose after it was purported that anti-immigrant protests in August were organized via Telegram groups. Due to copyright issues, Spain temporarily blocked the app in March, but that decision was swiftly overturned. Due to potential threats to national security, Telegram use on official devices has been outlawed in Norway.

Germany: After finding channels that might have violated rules against hate speech, Germany explored banning the app in 2022. Telegram was finally fined €5 million for not adhering to local legislation. The app has been essential for communication during the conflict in Ukraine, but it has also sparked worries about possible Russian exploitation.

Norway: Ministers, state secretaries, and political advisors are not allowed to use Telegram on their work devices, but the country has not instituted a complete ban on the app. National security considerations served as the foundation for this March 2023 decision. Russia and China are the main danger players against Norwegian security interests, according to the Norwegian intelligence service, which also noted that fake news and misinformation might be distributed via social media.

Russia: From 2018 to 2020, Telegram was prohibited in Russia for two years. The ban was imposed as a result of Pavel Durov, the CEO and co-founder of Telegram, refusing to comply with requests to provide information on specific users. Even government agencies like the national COVID-19 task force and the Russian Foreign Ministry, which kept official accounts on the app, continued to use it extensively in Russia despite the prohibition.

China: Since 2015, Telegram has been restricted in China. Following a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on Telegrams servers, the app was banned. Some analysts speculate that the Chinese government may have coordinated the attack to justify blocking the app. Human rights attorneys in China apparently utilized Telegram to criticize the Chinese Communist Party and government before to the ban.

Iran: In response to demonstrations demanding economic justice in the nation that broke out a year earlier, Telegram has been blocked in Iran since 2018. The Iranian authorities pushed for the promotion of local apps and accused Telegram of instigating these protests.

India: Telegram is being investigated there for its possible involvement in a number of illegal acts, even though it is not officially prohibited. According to the Indian government, a ban will be taken into consideration while the investigation is ongoing. Exam paper leaks, the proliferation of child pornography, stock price manipulation, and extortion are among the issues that worry Indians.

Source Link 1: https://news.abplive.com/technology/telegram-ban-in-india-countries-block-restrict-list-global-scrutiny-security-pavel-durov-1713289