Telegram being investigated in India over gambling concerns
According to Moneycontrol, the messaging app Telegram could even be banned depending on the outcome of the investigation. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in Paris over the weekend as the platform’s content moderation comes under increasing global scrutiny.
Telegram, a widely used messaging platform, is coming under increasing scrutiny for its lack of content moderation, becoming a hotspot for criminal activity
The government is investigating Telegram over concerns about criminal activity such as extortion and gambling, a government spokesman told Moneycontrol, adding that the messaging app could even be banned depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The revelation comes after Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris on August 24 over the app’s moderation policies. Reports said he was detained for failing to prevent criminal activity on the app.
A government official told Moneycontrol, requesting anonymity:
The Indian Cyber ​​Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) (under MHA) and MeitY are looking into P2P communications on Telegram.
The probe, conducted by the home ministry and the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), was aimed at probing criminal activities such as extortion and gambling, the official said.
The official did not rule out blocking the platform, which has over 5 million registered users in India, but said a decision would be taken based on the findings of the probe.
