Indonesia Considers Banning Telegram Amid Multiple Allegations

• Indonesia may ban Telegram due to accusations of spreading harmful content.
• A potential ban in India could impact the app’s largest user base.

Indonesia is considering banning Telegram due to allegations of spreading pornography and promoting online gambling. According to Demandsage data, Indonesia ranks as the third-largest country in terms of Telegram usage. 

Budi Arie Setiadi, Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Informatics said that Telegram promised to improve content moderation following the government’s request. However, the app didn’t implement better behavioral regulations. And they failed to issue responses too. 

The minister stated:

“I would prefer to shut down Bigo Live and Telegram immediately, but a team needs to conduct further studies first.” 

So Jakarta Globe reports that Telegram faces a possible ban in Indonesia after accusations of disturbing pornography and encouraging online gambling. Indonesia’s IT Minister Rudiantara says the government is limiting social media activity to control the spread of misinformation and hoaxes during the election protests.

Allegations against Telegram include supporting terrorism-related activities, hate speech, radicalism, pornography, and gambling. Countries that have previously blocked Telegram include Bahrain (since 2016), Russia, Iran, and Pakistan. Russia and Iran imposed bans in 2018, though Russia lifted its ban in 2020.

Telegram Being Investigated in India

Since France arrested CEO Pavel Durov, over a lack of content moderation, the Government of India has realized that the same charges are available here as well. So, India is considering banning the app. The investigation is being conducted by the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Digital rights activists are pushing back, citing censorship concerns. They argue that blocking Telegram will stifle free speech, harm small businesses, and infringe on users’ rights. This ban in India might affect Telegram in a large base. With an estimated 104 million users in India, a ban could significantly impact the app’s largest user base.

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