Telegram under scrutiny: 7 alleged illegal activities linked to the popular messaging app

Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov, was recently arrested in Paris over the app's moderation policies, or the lack of them. The app has been repeatedly criticised for allowing illegal activities like drug trafficking and distribution of child sexual abuse images on the platform. Durov’s arrest seems to have triggered a domino effect, with the Indian government also looking into the alleged role of this widely popular messaging app in enabling various unlawful activities.

While the intense scrutiny that Telegram is being subjected to feels relatively new, the list of allegations of illegal activities via the app is long — and hair-raising.

Child exploitation and illegal pornography

The major allegation against Telegram has been that it is used as a platform to circulate child pornography. Despite efforts to remove such content, various reports indicate that the content moderation policies of the platform are subpar and certain channels and groups continue to operate, sharing explicit materials. This has drawn severe criticism from child protection organisations and governments worldwide, demanding more stringent measures to combat this issue.

Pirated content

Telegram has also become a hub for distributing pirated content, which has added to its controversial reputation. The app is used to share a wide range of pirated materials, including movies, music, software, eBooks, and even subscription-based content like academic journals and premium news articles. While some defend the access to some of these content formats through Telegram as a right to access knowledge and information, while creators allege infringements of their IP rights.

Hate speech and extremism

The platform has also allegedly been used to spread hate speech and extremist propaganda. Telegram is said to be popular among far-right groups, conspiracy theorists, and extremist organisations because of its lax moderation policies and encrypted messaging services. This has made it a haven for spreading ideologies that incite violence and discrimination, leading to several countries closely monitoring the app's activities.

Terrorism

Telegram has allegedly been used by terrorist organisations to communicate, plan attacks and disseminate propaganda in the past. Groups like ISIS have utilised the app to recruit members, share instructions for attacks, and distribute videos glorifying violence. Although Telegram has made some efforts to curb this by removing certain channels, the app’s lack of stringent content moderation allegedly allow such activities to persist.

Gambling

In India, Telegram is under investigation by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) due to concerns about extortion, gambling, and other criminal activities occurring on the platform. This has raised alarms about the app potentially being banned in the country, especially after its involvement in a major exam paper leak scandal.

NEET UG paper leak

The NEET UG exam, conducted on May 5, 2024, across multiple centres nationwide, became embroiled in controversy when reports emerged linking a paper leak to several districts in Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Haryana. Investigations pointed to Telegram as a possible medium used to facilitate the leak, raising significant concerns about the examination's integrity.

Other examination papers leaks, including UGC-NET 2024, MPPSC, UP Police exam, CBSE board examination, have all been linked to Telegram.

Cybersecurity attack

Recently, a serious security flaw in Telegram, known as the "EvilVideo" exploit, was discovered by cybersecurity researchers. This vulnerability allowed hackers to send harmful files disguised as videos through Telegram chats, posing a significant threat to users' devices. Telegram has since released an update to fix this issue, but the incident highlights ongoing concerns about the app's security.

These activities have sparked international debates about the role of encrypted messaging apps like Telegram in enabling illegal activities. The controversies have led to increased pressure on Telegram to implement better content moderation policies and cooperate more closely with law enforcement agencies.