Telegram is under investigation in India for alleged involvement in illegal activities following co-founder Pavel Durov’s arrest.
The Times of India disclosed that Telegram is currently under investigation in India as a result of the high-profile detention of co-founder Pavel Durov in France on August 24.
According to the report, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) are looking into possible instances of extortion, gambling, and other illegal activities on the well-known messaging platform.
The Telegram app may be subject to a potential prohibition in India, which has the world’s largest Telegram user base and an estimated 104 million users, depending on the results of the investigation.
Users in India Submit Conflicting Reports
According to reports from individual users on the X social media platform, the Telegram wallet is no longer accessible in India, as it now displays a “unsupported region” message.
Nevertheless, Infinity Hedge and a user named Sarvesh have reported that other users are still able to access the Telegram wallet in India.
The French Authorities’ Detention of Pavel Durov
The crypto community was taken aback by the detention of Pavel Durov, the co-founder of Telegram, by French law enforcement officials. It elicited an official response from Telegram on August 26 and sparked an outcry on social media platforms.
Telegram’s response 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.”
The company has been the subject of a search warrant issued by France’s L’Office Mineurs (OFMIN), a government agency responsible for investigating crimes and abuse against minors.
The warrant is part of a comprehensive investigation that alleges the presence of child abuse materials, organized crime, fraud, drug trafficking, and terrorism on the platform. French officials contend that the absence of content moderation on Telegram enables these unlawful activities to flourish unabated.
Nevertheless, Telegram asserts that the platform “complies with EU legislation, including the Digital Services Act,” and that its content moderation policies are “consistent with industry standards and are constantly being enhanced.”
French Prime Minister Emanuel Macron issued a statement on August 26 in which he denied that Durov’s arrest was political. He also asserted that French courts would ultimately determine Durov’s fate as part of an independent judicial process.
