Telegram Resumes Operations in India After Temporary Ban Ends The Indian government’s temporary ban on the messaging app Telegram ended on June 22, allowing the platform to resume operations for some existing users in the country. Google Play Store reinstated the app on Tuesday morning, while Apple’s App Store remained inaccessible to Telegram until around 10 a.m. The decision followed the expiration of a government order that had imposed a blanket ban on the app until June 22. The ban was imposed after the Indian government accused Telegram of failing to prevent the circulation of fake NEET examination papers, the spread of misleading information, and other fraudulent activities that disrupted the exam process. Prior to the ban, government officials met with Telegram representatives on June 3 to raise these concerns. As a result, the government ordered the blocking of Telegram and its associated web links, including its web version, until June 22. Telegram was also directed to disable its message-editing feature until June 30. The NEET re-examination, held on June 21, has not yet reported any instances of fraudulent activity. However, the government’s actions have drawn criticism from Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, who accused India’s IT ministry of imposing the one-week ban due to some users sharing leaked exam questions. Durov alleged that Reliance, in which Meta holds a partial stake, may have lobbied alongside WhatsApp to secure the ban. The government’s temporary measures reflect broader concerns about the app’s role in facilitating misinformation and illegal activities. While the ban was lifted, the restrictions on message editing and the absence of Telegram from Apple’s App Store indicate ongoing scrutiny.#indian_government #google_play_store #telegram #pavel_durov #neet_examination
