Indian Court Upholds Ban on Telegram App

AI Summary

An Indian court has rejected Telegram's appeal against a temporary ban imposed due to allegations that the app was being used to sell leaked exam questions. The ban was issued by India's Ministry of Information Technology after channels on the platform were found selling undergraduate medical entrance exam questions.

The Court's Ruling

An Indian court has rejected an appeal by the Telegram social media app against a temporary ban. The New Delhi High Court issued the ruling on Friday after a closed-door hearing between Telegram and Indian officials, court records show.

The Reason Behind the Ban

India blocked the app over allegations that it was being used to sell leaked exam questions. The Ministry of Information Technology said channels on the platform were selling undergraduate medical entrance exam questions, and even fake questions could mislead candidates.

The Impact of the Ban

The ban took Telegram offline and removed it from app stores earlier this week, according to app tracking data. India is Telegram's largest market, with more than 150 million users.

The Legal Battle

Telegram founder Pavel Durov publicly criticised the ban, saying it penalised the platform's users, even though the exam leaks had already been disseminated elsewhere. Telegram rejected the Indian government's account of the meetings in court filings, calling it 'one-sided and inaccurate' and 'intentionally' omitting details of the company's proactive processes.

The Future of Telegram in India

The case has become one of the most closely watched legal clashes between a global tech company and the Indian government this year. India joins a growing list of countries cracking down on Telegram. China and Iran have maintained long-term bans since 2015 and 2018, respectively.