Telegram, a popular messaging app known for its resistance to government scrutiny, has been used widely by protesters and news organizations evading authoritarian control. However, it has also been accused of enabling terrorism, crime and disinformation.
Governments around the world have tried to limit Telegram through bans, restrictions and criminal investigations, including in France, where its creator has faced criminal charges.
The app was banned by Russia, where it had been used for political dissent; restricted from government-issued devices in Ukraine over national security reasons; and temporarily suspended in Brazil for what the authorities said was its failure to curb illicit activities.
In the latest example, India this week banned the app until June 22 after finding that it had been used in a fraudulent effort to sell what users claimed to be leaked pages from an upcoming national medical college entrance exam.
Here’s a partial list of places where Telegram has faced regulatory hurdles.
India
India, among Telegram’s largest markets with over 150 million users, temporarily banned Telegram over what the government called a last-ditch attempt to halt an effort to defraud students preparing for the entrance exam for medical colleges.
Millions of candidates took the test in May. But India’s National Testing Agency said on Tuesday that Telegram channels had sold what they called leaked exam questions to candidates and their families that turned out to be fake. It also scrapped the scores from the exam and scheduled a retest for Sunday.
