• India's investigation into Telegram over alleged extortion and playing exercise might result in the platform being blocked within the nation.
• Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has been detained in France for allegedly enabling criminal activity on the messaging platform.
• The Indian authorities has stepped up scrutiny of Telegram over points together with copyright infringement and the unfold of unlawful content material.

The Indian authorities has launched an investigation into Telegram for alleged extortion and playing actions, simply at some point after French authorities detained the platform's CEO, Pavel Durov.

The investigation, led by the house ministry's Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Ministry of Electronics and Info Know-how (MeitY), raises the opportunity of blocking Telegram in India, authorities officers acquainted with the matter stated.

Durov was arrested at a French airport on August 25 as half of a bigger investigation into prison actions that Telegram allegedly facilitated, together with cash laundering and drug trafficking. French authorities declare that such unlawful actions have been allowed to happen resulting from inadequate moderation on the platform. Durov's detention marks a big enhance in scrutiny of Telegram, which has been criticized for its dealing with of unlawful content material.

Following Durov's arrest, Telegram launched an announcement on Twitter, by which the corporate's CEO stated it had “nothing to cover” and that the platform complies with all EU legal guidelines, together with the Digital Providers Act. The corporate confused that it’s “absurd to assert that the platform or its homeowners are answerable for the misuse of its platform.” However, authorized strain on Telegram is rising.

Telegram has a historical past of being linked to prison exercise. In 2019, South Korean authorities uncovered an internet intercourse ring working on the platform that pressured greater than 70 girls, together with minors, to supply sexual content material that was then bought in Telegram chat rooms, in response to a report by The Korea Herald. The incident uncovered main safety flaws within the platform and raised international considerations about its use by criminals.

Past these instances, Telegram has additionally confronted intense scrutiny in India for the distribution of kid sexual abuse materials (CSAM). In October 2023, MeitY issued notices to Telegram and different social media platforms, asking them to take away CSAM from their companies in India. The transfer got here following an investigation by The Financial Instances, which prompted senior IT Ministry officers to handle rising considerations over CSAM on Telegram.

Furthermore, Telegram has additionally turn into a hub for copyright infringement: media organisations corresponding to India At this time Group and Jagaran Prakashan, and academic establishments corresponding to Allen and Made Simple have filed lawsuits towards the platform for unlawful distribution of copyrighted materials.

Telegram's future in India, one in every of its largest markets, stays unclear as the federal government investigation continues.