Key facts
- Telegram's legal challenge against India's temporary app block dismissed
- Court rules government's temporary ban was not disproportionate
- Case involves IT Act powers to block digital platforms in India
- Telegram faces scrutiny in India over illegal content on its platform
Reuters and India Today report that Telegram has lost its court challenge against India's temporary blocking of the app, with the court holding that the government's action was not disproportionate. The ruling upholds the Indian government's power under the Information Technology Act to temporarily suspend access to digital platforms without necessarily violating legal standards of proportionality.
Telegram has been under pressure in India over concerns about its platform being used to circulate illegal content, including content linked to organised crime and exam paper leaks. The messaging app, which has hundreds of millions of users globally and a large user base in India, had argued that the block was excessive.
The judgment is significant because it reinforces the legal cover available to the Indian government when it orders temporary bans on apps and websites. For everyday users, it underlines the precarious legal footing on which access to any digital platform in India ultimately rests, and that such blocks can withstand judicial scrutiny.