Is Telegram being used for criminal activities such as gambling and extortion?

Telegram ban in India Latest News: The popular messaging app Telegram, which boasts over 5 million registered users in India, could face a ban as the Indian government launched an investigation into its alleged involvement in extortion and gambling activities. The outcome of this probe will determine the app's future in the country.

As reported by Moneycontrol, both the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology have initiated an inquiry into the platform’s peer-to-peer (P2P) communications. The investigation is focused on whether Telegram is being used for criminal activities such as gambling and extortion.

An official source revealed that the ministries are closely examining Telegram's potential role in these illegal activities. So far, the company has not issued any official statement regarding the investigation.

In a related development, Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, was recently arrested in Paris over concerns related to the platform's moderation policies. French authorities have been investigating Telegram's lack of moderators, claiming that this gap enables criminal activities to go undetected on the app.

In response to Durov's arrest, a PTI report stated that the Indian IT Ministry has requested the Ministry of Home Affairs to investigate any pending complaints against Telegram and assess what action may be required. However, the IT Ministry itself is not directly involved in the investigation, with its cybersecurity body CERT-In focusing primarily on cybersecurity offenses rather than cybercrimes.

The government is now tasked with determining whether similar issues exist in India and what steps need to be taken in light of the ongoing probe.

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