In view of the recent allegations pertaining to the social media platform's misuse in several criminal activities including extortion and gambling, the Indian government has launched an investigation concerning the Telegram application. Based on the findings of the probe, the messaging app, which has over 5 million registered users in India, could also be banned.
Telegram row: About MeiTY's investigation
As per a report by Moneycontrol, commenting on the probe, a government official said "The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) (under MHA) and MeitY have been looking into P2P communications on Telegram."
"We will examine the kind of material that we get and based on our laws, we will come to a conclusion," the official said.
As per reports, the probe is being conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
It has been reported that the violations that I4C and MeitY are investigating are not related to the Information Technology (IT) Rules as the platform is in compliance with the same.
According to the IT rules, platforms such as Telegram are required to appoint a nodal officer and a chief compliance officer and publish monthly compliance reports.
"There is difficulty in dealing with Telegram because they have no presence in India", an official told Moneycontrol.
Authorities often face challenges in investigating such platforms owing to the absence of a local office.
Telegram row: CEO Pavel Durov arrested
The development concerning the social media application came days after the arrest of the 39-year-old CEO of Telegram, Pavel Durov at Bourget airport in Paris on August 24 in connection with the app’s moderation policies. Several reports suggested that he was detained over failure to prevent criminal activities on the app.
The situation allegedly allowed criminal activity to go on undeterred on the messaging app, reports said.
Denying the charge, the company issued an official statement saying, "Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. Almost a billion users globally use Telegram as a means of communication and as a source of vital information. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation. Telegram is with you all... It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for abuse of that platform."
Telegram: Breeding ground of unethical activities?
In recent times, Telegram alongside certain other social media platforms has been suspected as the breeding ground for countless criminal activities, including monetary scams, gambling, and extortion.
Lately, allegations surfaced against Telegram in connection with the NEET-UG question paper leak controversy leading to a massive outrage amongst the candidates that forced the Supreme Court to intervene.
