The Times of India revealed that Telegram is under investigation in India following the high-profile arrest of co-founder Pavel Durov in France on Aug. 24.
According to the report, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) are probing the popular messaging platform for instances of gambling, extortion, and other illegal activities.
Depending on the investigation’s results, the Telegram app could face a potential ban in India, which has an estimated 104 million users and the world’s largest Telegram user base.
Conflicting reports from users in India
Individual user reports have flooded the X social media platform claiming that they can no longer access the Telegram wallet in India, which now displays an “unsupported region” message.
An example of one of the many individual user reports of the Telegram wallet going offline in India. Source: i_nAv|YT
However, according to Infinity Hedge and a user named Sarvesh, other users report they can still access the Telegram wallet in India.
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The arrest of Pavel Durov by French authorities
Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov’s arrest by French law enforcement officials sent shockwaves throughout the crypto community. It caused an outcry on social media platforms and prompted an official response from Telegram on Aug. 26.
In the response, Telegram asserted that Durov “has nothing to hide” and argued that it was “absurd to claim that a platform or its owner is responsible for the abuse on that platform.”
France’s L’Office Mineurs (OFMIN)—a government agency tasked with investigating crimes and abuse against minors—has issued a search warrant against the company in a broad investigation alleging unspecified incidents of drug trafficking, fraud, organized crime, terrorism, and child abuse materials on the platform. French officials argue that Telegram’s lack of content moderation allows these illegal activities to thrive unchecked on the platform.
However, Telegram maintains that the platform “abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act,” adding that the messaging service’s content moderation policies are “within industry standards and constantly improving.”
On Aug. 26, French Prime Minister Emanuel Macron issued a statement denying that Durov’s arrest was political and claimed that French courts would ultimately decide what happens to Durov as part of an independent judicial process.
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