India has ordered a temporary block on Telegram until June 22, aiming to curb fraud related to the NEET UG medical entrance exam. The National Testing Agency NTA announced the move on Tuesday, accusing the messaging service of being used by fraudsters to sell fake exam papers and spread misinformation ahead of the re-test scheduled for June 21.
The restrictions include a nationwide ban on Telegram until the day after the re-test, as well as a demand to disable the message-editing feature until June 30. According to the agency, this feature has been exploited to fabricate evidence of paper leaks after exams. The order was issued under Section 69A of India's Information Technology Act, which allows blocking online services for public order reasons.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov strongly criticized the measure in a post on X, noting that a week-long ban would punish over 150 million users in India rather than those responsible for the leaks. Durov also questioned the effectiveness, stating that "the leaks just moved to other apps." In a subsequent post on his Telegram channel, he said the company had removed hundreds of channels linked to leaked exam materials and scams in recent weeks. He also made the "edited" label more prominent to prevent backdating scams.
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Durov broadened his criticism, accusing Indian telecom operator Reliance of disrupting Telegram access for some users outside India through unauthorized internet routing announcements. Reliance did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Digital rights groups strongly criticized the restrictions. The Internet Freedom Foundation called them a "disproportionate response" to exam fraud, questioning whether Section 69A allows the government to block an entire platform rather than specific content. "Shutting down Telegram is a band aid solution and a disproportionate answer to exam fraud," the group said in a statement.
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NTA Director General Abhishek Singh defended the move, stating that some channels operated via VPNs or from abroad, but limiting access would still reduce the pool of potential victims. "Even though they can continue operating the channels, if there is no clientele, the fraud will be prevented, and the students will be protected," he told local media.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of national exam security in India, following a paper leak scandal last month that prompted a federal investigation. India is Telegram's largest market globally, with an estimated 354 million monthly active users and nearly 600 million downloads.
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At the time of publication, Telegram remained accessible to some users in India and the message-editing feature appeared to function normally, despite Google removing the app from the Indian Play Store after the government's announcement. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not respond to requests for comment.
This crackdown is part of broader concerns about digital platform misuse, as highlighted by recent reports that over a fifth of Steam Next Fest demos use generative AI, raising questions about content authenticity. More on this trend can be found in this article.
For a deeper understanding of Telegram's background, refer to the Wikipedia page.
