India Investigates Telegram Following CEO’s Arrest in France

India is ramping up its investigation into Telegram following the recent arrest of CEO Pavel Durov in France.

The Indian government is examining whether the platform facilitates illegal activities such as extortion and gambling within the country.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is assessing the potential risks associated with Telegram, with the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) spearheading the investigation. The scrutiny is partly due to Telegram’s peer-to-peer capabilities, which could enable criminal behavior.

Durov was detained by French authorities on August 24 after arriving from Azerbaijan. French officials accuse him of failing to adequately moderate content on Telegram, allowing illegal activities like money laundering and drug trafficking to proliferate.

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In response, India’s IT Ministry has sought updates on the investigation into Telegram’s operations in India. Although the IT Ministry is not conducting the probe itself, it is closely monitoring developments to understand any potential legal breaches.

One major issue is Telegram’s lack of a local office in India, which hampers the government’s ability to enforce regulations and access necessary data. Despite Telegram’s claims of compliance with Indian IT regulations, the absence of a physical presence complicates accountability and enforcement.

Alexander Stefanov