Since the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, governments all over the globe started investigating to their level. The CEO was arrested at Paris-Le Bourget airport on Saturday when he was arriving from Baku, Azerbaijan.
There is no question about the popularity of the Telegram messaging app that was launched in 2013. It has some amazing features that haven’t yet been copied by other messaging apps; users can share large files (up to 2GB), broadcast to up to 2,00,000 people, etc.
However, there are some astonishing benefits to using the Telegram app, it faces continuous accusations that it promotes criminal activities like gambling and extortion. Durov Pavel was detained on the charges that he didn’t take action to prevent criminal activities and update the moderation policies that help to protect such activities.
Not only the French government but also other global countries started investigating if Telegram seriously indulges in such activities. The allegations are serious and we also see people lose their hard-earned money due to fraud activities on Telegram. The Indian government and the Ministry of Home Minister also started the probing under the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C).
Similarly, countries across the world also indicated that Telegram will be banned in the countries if the allegations are proven true. To be noted, Telegram is already banned in several countries including China, Brazil, Iran, Thailand, Russia, etc.
Read more: The US House banned staffers from using Microsoft Copilot
What is the Telegram App?
Telegram app cloud-based open-source messaging app, free for all. It allows users to share photos, videos, files, large files, voice calls, and video calls. This messaging app is owned by Russian entrepreneurs Pavel and Nikolai Durov, two Russian brothers in 2013.
This powerful messaging app has more than 500 million active users, India boasts more than 105 million users, followed by Russia, Indonesia, and the United States. Telegram is available on various devices including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux. There’s also Telegram Web, which is a browser-based version that most modern web browsers support.
The Telegram gained trust of users by offering message encryption along with allow to hide their mobile number and chat seamlessly through name only. To start a conversation, users have to choose a contact from the contact list or type in the desired username or mobile phone to open the conversation.
Overall, telegram is the simplest application with more features that most messaging apps lack. With lots of customizations and privacy-related features, Telegram users can get the most out of it. A few notable features are as follows –
- Cloud supports
- Instant connectivity with the Telegram help centers
- End-to-encrypted messages and calls including the video calls
- Secret chats
- Synced cloud experience
- No file sharing limitation
- You can remove any messages without letting the users
- No audience limitations
- Bot configuration options
What Next? Will Telegram be banned worldwide?
The tension between Telegram and the Russian government dates back to 2018 when Durov denied access to specific data to the government. Year after, Telegram was banned in Russia. After being arrested by the French government, the Russian government also asked for consular access to Pavel Durov.
Durov was arrested on 24th August 2024 and the investigations are still going on. Understandably, it would be a long process, we cannot speculate about any banning situation worldwide. As for now, banning Telegram is neither practical nor a viable solution. However, countries across the globe may think about if there is any such demand for banning Telegram.
In this circumstance, the context of the Indian government is more interesting that recently announced they will ban Telegram in India if found allegations right. It should not be forgotten that Telegram has the largest user base from India and no other countries are even near to this. In this scenario, if India bans the Telegram app, it could be a strong signal worldwide.
Conclusion
The arrest of Durov Pavel, the CEO of the Telegram app, creates a lot of buzz, speculation, and unavoidable situations. Currently, there is a very common question on every user’s mind – Will Telegram be banned worldwide? With our analysis and research, we can say that Telegram is not going to be banned everywhere, however, it is completely at the discretion of the particular government if they find such fraudulent activities in their country.
