India's Temporary Ban on Telegram: A Punishment for 150 Million Users?

Messaging platform Telegram has slammed the Indian government's move to temporarily block access to the app, stating that it punishes 150 million ordinary users rather than those guilty of leaking exam papers.

Indian authorities restricted access to Telegram to prevent exam fraud, after the cancellation of a crucial test last month sparked protests across the country.

Telegram will be unavailable until June 22, while its message editing feature will also be disabled until June 30, according to India's National Testing Agency.

The move is in response to the organized use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates taking a national entrance test on June 21.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, or NEET-UG, is a crucial exam for admission to medical colleges and was cancelled in May due to allegations of a paper leak, affecting millions of students.

Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, claims the ban punishes 150 million ordinary users in India, not the insiders who leaked the exam material, and that the ban hasn't stopped anything, with leaks moving to other apps.

Government investigations found multiple channels on Telegram claiming to have access to leaked exam papers and soliciting payments from candidates and their families.

The issue has sparked protests across India, with many demanding accountability for the paper leak.

The Indian government's decision to ban Telegram has been criticized, with some arguing it is an excessive measure that unfairly targets innocent users.