Telegram Ban in India Possible After CEO Pavel Durov’s Arrest
Telegram ban in India becoming a major topic of concern after the recent event of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest. Telegram is known as one of the most famous apps for messaging all around the world, but recently Telegram is getting all its popularity from the illegal troubles of its CEO. The possibility of the Telegram ban has become the hot topic of discussion after the recent arrest of its CEO. Indian Government also started investigating on the app for its use in criminal activities such as gambling, extortion, and exam paper leak. If the app is charged with these criminal activities after the investigation, then it could potentially be banned in India.
Reasons Behind the Arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested at the Perisian airport near Paris last Friday. The moment he landed, Durov was detained by the police officials, his arrest is linked with Telegram messaging app he co-founded in 2013 which now has more than 950 million user base all over the world. Telegram is known to maintain privacy of its users and often described as a free platform. Telegram refuses to moderate the messages, and does not share any data with governments or companies.
One of the most unique feature of Telegram is the size of its groups. For example WhatsApp limits group sizes to a 1,000 people, Telegram allows upto 200,000 people in one single group. This capability has made telegram an ideal platform to spread news, or creating communities, but it is also being used to spread mis-information, child trafficking content, drug trafficking, and other illegal content.
All this made Telegram a target for many countries. In 2018, Iran also try to ban Telegram for similar reasons. Now French authorities have accused telegram of failing to moderate content and not co-operate with authorities, leading to the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov. Despite all this accusations, Telegram is saying that it has nothing to hide. Its CEO Pavel Durov is regular in Europe, he is a french citizen and the platform abides by EU laws and they are constantly improving.
Telegram Ban in India
Now the big question is whether a platform like Telegram can a platform be held responsible for what its users do? This issue is very relevant in India, where the government is closely monitoring this situation. If Telegram is found guilty of the criminal activities, the app could face a potential ban in the country, which would impact more than 100 million Telegram users in India.
The arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov also started a discussion about the balance between maintaining privacy and preventing illegal activities. Many people came out in support of Telegram arguing that the government and authorities wants to control digital platforms, potentially violating freedom of speech.
Conclusion
As the investigation continues, the future of Telegram in India is unclear. Its associations with criminal activities could lead to potential ban in many countries.
What are your thoughts on the possibility of Telegram ban in India? do you think is this right or does it threaten the principles of free speech? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
