According to Moneycontrol, based on survey results, the messaging app Telegram might even be banned. As the platform's content moderation is increasingly scrutinized globally, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested last weekend in Paris.
Telegram is a widely used messaging platform that is increasingly scrutinized for its lack of content moderation and has become a hotspot for criminal activities
An Indian government spokesperson told Moneycontrol that the Indian government is investigating whether Telegram is involved in criminal activities such as extortion and gambling, adding that, based on the investigation results, this communication app might even be banned.
Previously, Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested on August 24 due to the app's moderation policies in Paris. He was reportedly detained for failing to stop criminal activities on the app.
An unnamed Indian government official revealed to Moneycontrol:
The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) (under the Ministry of Home Affairs) and MeitY are investigating P2P communications on Telegram.
The official stated that this investigation is conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), aimed at investigating criminal activities such as extortion and gambling.
The official did not rule out the possibility of blocking the platform, which has over 5 million registered users in India, but stated that the decision will be based on the results of the investigation.
