Countries in Which Telegram Has Been Banned: A Global Overview Amid Rising Allegations

The messaging software Telegram is under fire for allegedly facilitating the spread of extremism and disinformation around the world. Paris recently detained CEO Pavel Durov on charges of crime. In a blog post, Telegram denied the charges and said that CEO Pavel Durov travels across Europe often and has nothing to conceal. Holding the platform or its owner accountable for misuse is absurd, according to the company.

Allegations of gambling, exam paper leaks, child pornography, and stock market manipulation have put Telegram under investigation in India.

Internet users have come up with memes that read, "Darr ka mahol hai." in reaction to the arrest. If the Indian government's inquiry into these claims turns out to be accurate, Telegram might be banned in the country.

Take a look at the nations that had previously banned Telegram prior to these new changes in this regard.

More details on why Telegram was banned in these nations

UK

There have been demands for more regulation of Telegram channels following allegations that they were utilised to organise anti-immigrant riots in the UK in August. Telegram was temporarily banned in Spain in March because to copyright concerns, but the ruling was quickly reversed. Meanwhile, out of concern for national security, Norway has banned government staff from using Telegram on work computers.

Spain

After a judge sided with large media companies in March 2023 on allegations of unauthorised distribution of copyrighted content, Telegram was momentarily banned in Spain. Criticism led to the swift reversal of the ban, which underscores the gravity of the app's possible abuse and its influence on millions of users.

Norway

Concerned about potential threats to national security, especially from Russia and China, Norway has limited government officials' use of Telegram on work devices. However, the country has not implemented a complete ban. The ruling highlights the worries regarding the platform's ability to disseminate false information.

Germany

In 2022, after discovering 64 channels that broke hate speech regulations, Germany contemplated banning Telegram. Telegram, on the other hand, agreed to remove content that German authorities found unlawful after the government fined the service €5 million for noncompliance.

Russia

Due to the platform's refusal to provide the Russian authorities with user data, Telegram was banned from 2018 to 2020. Government agencies nevertheless used Telegram for official communications, proving the app's popularity despite the prohibition.

Belarus

While Telegram is not outright forbidden in Belarus, there are several channels that users should be cautious of using. Users who continue to follow certain Telegram channels that the government has designated as radical may be subject to harsh punishments, including jail time. In spite of these dangers, the app played an essential role in the protests of 2020 and 2021.

China

Since 2015, Telegram has been restricted in China. A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) assault on Telegram's servers led to the ban; some analysts suspect the Chinese government may have been behind the attack, which is why the app was censored. Chinese human rights attorneys allegedly utilised Telegram before the ban to voice their criticism of the ruling Communist Party and administration.

Iran

In 2018, protests demanding economic reforms led to the prohibition of Telegram in Iran. In response to accusations that the app was helping to spread discontent, the Iranian government promoted the usage of domestic alternatives. There are still a lot of Iranians who use VPNs to access Telegram, even though it's banned.

Thailand

Since 2020, when it was utilised to coordinate anti-government demonstrations, Telegram has been prohibited in Thailand. By allowing protesters to better coordinate their actions against the government, the platform played a significant role in the crackdown on opposition that ultimately led to the ban.

Pavel Durov Biography: Personal Life | Education | Career |

This biography delves into Puvol Durov’s life, career, and the challenges he’s faced as a maverick in the tech world. Recently, Durov made headlines, but this time it wasn’t for his tech achievements—it was for his arrest.

StartupTalkyKanimozhi Sivakumar