Indian authorities announced the launch of an investigation after Telegram founder Pavel Durov was detained in Paris.
Telegram messaging app, which has over 5 million registered users in India, may face a ban. This came after the Centre launched an extortion and gambling probe against the company.
The future of the messaging app in India will depend on the findings of the investigation.Both Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology are specifically looking into the involvement of Telegram in criminal activities such as gambling and extortion.
According to the Times of India, authorities are looking into the platform's role in various illicit
activities, and potential consequences could range from stricter regulations to a complete shutdown.
Meanwhile, a PTI report said:
"In light of what has happened in France, IT Ministry has asked Ministry of Home Affairs to check on complaints pending against Telegram and what action can be taken."
It is noteworthy that in 2023, the Indian government had already sent a demand to the messenger's management to remove banned content from the platform.
The South Korean authorities also announced claims against Telegram. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday called for digital sex crimes to be thoroughly investigated after media reported that sexually explicit deepfake images and videos of South Korean women were often found in Telegram chatrooms.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after the detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, advocated the need to regulate cyberspace. Telegram has been blocked in Iran since 2017. The reason for this was the opposition content disseminated in it. Shortly before the blocking, protests against corruption and high food prices took place in the republic.
Source: Moneycontrol
