Amidst Telegram CEO Arrest, Check Out The List Of Countries That Banned Or Restricted The App Due To Security Issues

The messaging app- Telegram has been facing increased scrutiny in various countries over the past few years due to security threats. Recently the news of Telegram founder and CEO, Pavel Durov being arrested in France with a total of 12 cases being charged against the CEO among which some are related to alleged offenses related to the app has led to a widespread discussion about whether privacy is truly private on Telegram.

The clash between Telegram and various governments is not anything new and as per a recent report, 31 countries have implemented temporary or permanent bans on the platform since 2015.

Check out the list of countries where Telegram is banned or faces scrutiny

• United Kingdom-In the United Kingdom, Telegram channels were allegedly used to coordinate anti-immigrant riots in August, prompting calls for stricter regulation
• Germany considered banning the app in 2022 after identifying channels potentially violating hate speech laws, ultimately fining Telegram €5 million for non-compliance with local regulations. In Ukraine, the app has been crucial for wartime communication but has also raised concerns about potential exploitation by Russian actors
• Spain– In March, Spain briefly banned Telegram after a judge ruled in favor of four major media groups – Mediaset, Atresmedia, Movistar, and Egeda. These companies complained that Telegram was disseminating their copyrighted content without authorization. The judge had requested certain information from Telegram in July 2023 and ordered the app to be blocked when the company failed to respond. However, the ruling was quickly reversed after being criticized as disproportionate and potentially harmful to millions of users.
• Norway– Norway has prohibited the use of Telegram on work devices for ministers, state secretaries, and political advisors.
• Russia– Russia implemented a two-year ban on Telegram from 2018 to 2020. The ban was initiated after Telegram’s co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov refused to comply with requests to hand over information on certain users.
• Belarus– Telegram use in Belarus carries significant risks. The government has published a list of Telegram channels considered extremist and anti-government.
• China– Telegram has been blocked in China since 2015. The ban followed a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on Telegram’s servers, which some experts believe may have been orchestrated by the Chinese government to justify censoring the app.
• Iran– Iran has blocked Telegram since 2018, following protests that erupted a year earlier calling for economic justice in the country. The Iranian government accused Telegram of facilitating these protests and advocated for the promotion of local apps instead
• India–  Telegram is under investigation in India over its alleged role in various criminal activities. The Indian government has stated it would consider a ban pending the results of the probe. Concerns in India include the leaking of exam papers, the spread of child pornography, stock price manipulation, and extortion. In July, Indian authorities uncovered a stock price manipulation scheme involving a Telegram channel administrator.
• Thailand– Telegram has been banned in Thailand since 2020 due to its use in organizing anti-government protests that year.

This list was updated on 30th August 2024.