Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, has criticized the Indian government’s actions following reports of a potential ban or restrictions on the messaging platform. These measures were reportedly taken to curb the spread of misinformation and fraudulent activities related to the “NEET-UG” exam paper leaks. Durov argued that it is unjust to penalize 150 million users for the actions of a few, noting that the platform has already taken down hundreds of channels involved in such illicit activities.
While the government cited the misuse of Telegram’s “message editing” feature as a primary reason for the scrutiny, internet freedom advocates have also voiced their concerns over this decision. Following these developments, Telegram has been removed from the Play Store in India for some users, and access to certain features has been restricted.
