Indian Government Tightens Control Over Telegram Platform

The Indian government has expressed serious concerns over the spread of materials depicting child sexual abuse and the execution of large-scale financial frauds on the Telegram messenger. According to a report prepared by the Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs, state agencies have placed suspicious groups on the platform under "active surveillance." This is reported by Ixbt.com news reports.

A 35-page official document studied by the Reuters agency emphasizes that Telegram's privacy features create a convenient environment for cybercriminals. In particular, the ability to communicate without revealing a user's phone number complicates the identification process. In this regard, compared to WhatsApp, which has an audience of over 500 million in India, Telegram was found to be weaker from a security perspective.

Ban and Legal Pressure

This report was presented as part of a court proceeding, which was triggered by the leak of entrance exam questions for medical universities in the country. Following this incident, the app was blocked for one week. Although the ban has since been lifted and the app has reappeared in the Google Play store, the government's suspicions toward the messenger remain.

Telegram administration is also accused of not taking sufficient measures against the spread of misinformation on its channels. While company representatives have denied these allegations, the Indian government firmly maintains that cybercriminals continue their illegal activities through closed groups and channels.

Security Measures and Future Changes

According to the government report, the level of anonymity on the Telegram platform gives criminals a sense of impunity. Consequently, law enforcement agencies have strengthened the monitoring system for suspicious communities within the messenger. This is aimed at preventing not only sexual content but also large-scale financial schemes and frauds.

So far, Telegram and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs have refrained from providing official comments on this report. However, experts believe that such accusations in a major market like India could lead to serious legal consequences for the platform. Some functions in the app, including the ability to edit old messages, are expected to be fully restored only after June 30.

Considering that Telegram is also the most popular communication tool for Uzbek users, such global investigations will inevitably influence the platform's future security policy. The situation in India could become an important precedent determining the level of the messenger's cooperation with government agencies worldwide.