In a decisive move, the Indian government has banned the messaging giant Telegram, citing its monopolistic grip and involvement in a massive exam leaks scandal. The ban, effective immediately, blocks Telegram across all internet service providers in the country, following a series of leaked exam papers that spread through the platform's unmoderated channels. Sources confirm that the National Testing Agency traced the origin of the leaks to groups with millions of subscribers, facilitated by Telegram's lax encryption policies and resistance to regulatory oversight.
‘Telegram became a safe haven for fraudsters, operating with impunity,’ said a senior official familiar with the investigation. The ban marks the first time India has targeted a major messaging app for systemic failures rather than individual misuse. Now, UK regulators are under pressure to follow suit.
Documents uncovered by this paper show that Telegram’s market share in the UK has doubled in the past year, particularly among students and younger demographics. ‘The same model that enabled Indian exam leaks – absolute control with zero accountability – is thriving here,’ warned a source at the Competition and Markets Authority. Critics argue that Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, has created a platform that skirts local laws by operating from jurisdictions with weak enforcement.
In India, the ban is seen as a warning shot. The government has also ordered app stores to remove Telegram, while Google and Apple have complied. For UK regulators, the question is no longer whether to act, but when.
‘The pattern is clear: Telegram prioritises growth over governance,’ the source added. ‘India just proved that a monopoly can be dismantled.
