- Friday, September 13, 2024
The investigation was launched after Telegram’s founder and CEO was detained in France over allegations that his platform was being used for money laundering and drug trafficking
By: shajil kumar
MESSAGING app Telegram, which has over five million registered users in India, may face a ban for its alleged role in a range of criminal activities.
The Indian government has launched an extortion and gambling probe against the company. Home Affairs and Electronics and Information Technology ministries are carrying out the investigation.
Telegram was in the news recently over the UGC-NEET controversy, which led to student protests and forced the Supreme Court to intervene.
The question paper for the medical entrance exam was leaked and was allegedly widely shared on Telegram.
The messaging platform has not issued any statement in this regard.
The investigation was launched after Telegram’s founder and CEO was detained at Paris airport on an arrest warrant alleging his platform was used for offences like money laundering and drug trafficking.
A dual citizen of France and Russia, Durov, 39, was taken into custody at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on August 24 after landing in France from Azerbaijan, as per reports.
The French authorities are investigating Durov for failing to adequately address criminal activities on the platform, including the spread of child sexual abuse material.
This incident has drawn global attention to the challenges Telegram presents for law enforcement and digital content moderation.
The Paris prosecutor announced on August 26 that the investigation into Durov involves allegations of illicit transactions, child pornography, fraud, and failure to provide information to authorities.
In response, Telegram reiterated its stance, “It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse of that platform.”
Telegram was launched in 2013 by Pavel and Nikolai Durov. The platform now boasts 950 million users, an increase from 550 million in 2022.
France-Russia ties
Relations between Moscow and Paris have soured following Durov’s arrest.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Tuesday (27) that Russia was ready to provide Durov with all necessary assistance given his Russian citizenship, but that his French citizenship complicated the situation. Durov also holds a UAE passport.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is known to be an avid user of the app, has said that the arrest was “in no way a political decision”.
Free speech debate
Durov’s arrest has sparked a debate about the limits of free speech online, with X-owner Elon Musk saying the right to expression in Europe was under attack. It also underlines a movement by governments around the world to take a tougher line on policing illegal activity that flourishes on some platforms.
Brazil’s supreme court briefly suspended Telegram nationwide in 2022 over its failure to comply with judicial orders. (Agencies)
