India probes Telegram over extortion, gambling, fraud as CEO arrested in France – Firstpost

The Indian government is currently investigating Telegram, a popular messaging app, over suspicions it is being used for criminal activities such as extortion and gambling.

An investigation by the Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has revealed that there is a possibility of the platform being banned depending on the outcome of the investigation.

An anonymous government official revealed this information to Moneycontrol.

The investigation coincides with the recent arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov in Paris on August 24. Reports suggest that Durov was detained by French authorities due to the app’s failure to prevent criminal activity, particularly its moderation policies, which have come under scrutiny.

Telegram’s role in criminal activity
Telegram has come under scrutiny by Indian authorities due to its increasing links to criminal activity, including fraud, which has caused significant financial losses to citizens.

The platform, which boasts of over 5 million registered users in India, was recently embroiled in the UGC-NEET controversy. In that case, the question paper for the important medical entrance exam was leaked and allegedly sold on Telegram for prices ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. The incident sparked protests from students and led to the Supreme Court’s intervention.

The ongoing investigation by I4C and MeitY is specifically focused on activities such as extortion and gambling facilitated through peer-to-peer (P2P) communications on Telegram. While the app is reportedly compliant with Indian information technology (IT) regulations, the lack of a local office in India has complicated efforts to investigate and regulate the platform.

IT regulations require platforms like Telegram to appoint a nodal officer, a chief compliance officer, and publish monthly compliance reports. However, the lack of a physical presence in India has made it difficult for authorities to request user data and effectively manage the platform’s operations in the country.

Pavel Durov’s Arrest and Tech Industry Reactions
The arrest of Pavel Durov by French authorities has further exacerbated the situation. Durov was detained at Bourget Airport near Paris as part of an investigation into Telegram’s lack of moderation, which allegedly allowed criminal activity to continue unchecked on the platform.

In response to the arrest, Telegram issued a statement on August 26, saying that Durov frequently travels around Europe and has nothing to hide. The company emphasized that nearly a billion users worldwide rely on Telegram for communication and important information, and expressed hope for a quick resolution to the situation.

The arrest drew criticism from prominent figures in the tech community. Former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden condemned the arrest as an “attack on the fundamental human rights of freedom of speech and association.” American entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan suggested the French government’s actions were motivated more by a desire for control than crime prevention.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, Tesla and CTO of X, questioned why Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, formerly Facebook, has asked why Mark Zuckerberg has not been arrested over the “mass child exploitation” issue on Instagram.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin also raised concerns about the impact of the arrest on freedom of communication in Europe, despite his previous criticism of Telegram’s approach to encryption.

Telegram’s colorful history in India
This isn’t the first time Telegram has faced scrutiny in India. In October, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued notices to Telegram and other social media platforms, ordering them to remove child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from their services.

Additionally, in May the government, acting on advice from the Home Office, blocked several encrypted messaging platforms, including Briar, Element and AWS-owned Wickr Me, citing concerns about their misuse.

Recently, the IT ministry considered blocking Proton Mail, an encrypted email platform, after it was used to send fake bomb threats. However, Swiss authorities intervened to prevent the ban.

As the investigation into Telegram continues, its findings are likely to have significant implications for the platform’s operations in India and could potentially lead to a broader debate on the regulation of encrypted messaging services in the country.