Indian government demands anonymity report from Telegram and Signal messengers

The Indian government has sent an official request to Telegram, one of the world's most popular messengers, and Signal, a platform specializing in privacy. Country officials are demanding an explanation of how these services ensure the security of features that allow users to communicate without revealing their phone numbers. Reuters reported this, citing its sources within the government. Ixbt.com reports .

This measure became the next step by the Indian government in strengthening control over online platforms. Last month, the country considered temporarily blocking the Telegram platform, and now regulators have begun closely examining the service's individual features and their impact on cybersecurity.

Anonymity and fraud risk

According to government representatives, the ability to hide one's identity through usernames could open the door to various crimes. In particular, India's Ministry of Information Technology is concerned that anonymity could lead to an increase in crimes such as online fraud, phishing, attacks under false identities, and "digital arrests."

Therefore, Telegram and Signal have been asked to provide detailed information about what protection mechanisms have been implemented against impersonation and abuse. So far, neither the ministry nor the messengers' representatives have provided an official comment on this request.

Restrictions for WhatsApp too

Control is not limited to Telegram and Signal alone. It has emerged that the Indian government has also instructed the WhatsApp messenger to suspend the introduction of a planned new feature for changing usernames. The company must justify the necessity of this feature within three days, otherwise sanctions may be applied against it.

For Uzbek users, Telegram is also the primary communication tool. Decisions being made in large markets like India could affect the global policies of messengers and the way their features work in the future. While the number-hiding feature is an important part of personal privacy for many users, government authorities view it as a security threat.

It is worth noting that India is one of the countries with the largest number of internet users in the world, and legislative requirements here have always been a serious test for technology giants. For now, how the messengers will respond to these demands and whether they will maintain their privacy principles remains in question.