## Telegram may be banned in India if ‘these charges come true’
Telegram Under Investigation in India for Alleged Criminal Activities
The Government of India has opened investigations, reportedly, on allegations that the popular messaging app, Telegram, is being used in criminal activities, such as extortion and gambling. For taking up the investigations, Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Electronics and Information
# Technology will take up the investigation.
An investigation is underway after an incident in which Telegram’s founder and chief executive, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris on August 24, 2024, over concerns that his app is being too light with its moderation policy and is enabling crimes to be committed via its platform.
##Possible Investigation Outcome
If the probe brings out enough substantial evidence of wrongdoing, the Indian government might contemplate a ban on Telegram. But again, it will be based on the investigation takedown.
Presently, Telegram has over 5 million registered users from India and falls in line with the country’s IT Rules, which states that internet intermediaries must have a nodal officer and a chief compliance officer and have to publish monthly compliance reports.
##Problems in Investigating Telegram
Investigation is getting difficult as Telegram has no physical presence in India. Without the presence of offices here, direct communication will not happen, while it is also difficult to get user data.
#Global Fallout: Pavel Durov Arrested
-The arrest in Paris of Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram, has caused outrage. Not surprisingly, many famous people—Elon Musk and Edward Snowden—openly condemned the arrest in detention of such an entrepreneur. There are fears over the future of communication freedom in Europe.
-In Russia, Durov’s arrest has much Milimeter. From drug peddling to fraud, the reasons are endless. The Kremlin says it is very cautious against commenting and that it needs more information.
## How could the possible ban on Telegram affect its global user base?
A possible ban of the messages app in the country, one of its largest markets, could mean a lot to its global user base. For one, it just might injure, if not cripple, people’s already abashed trust in a messenger service that promises outstanding privacy and security if reputational pressures force a ban. Meanwhile, the arrest of Pavel Durov could possibly trigger relative scrutiny and regulatory actions from other countries, which would in turn lead to more restrictions on Telegram’s mode of operations worldwide. This illustrates how close to the wire every messaging platform treads between respect for user privacy and being subsequently regulated by governments.
## What are the available alternatives for Telegram users in India?
-Some available secure messaging apps to switch to in case of such a situation in India are:
-Signal: An application famous for its privacy and offering end-to-end encryption for all messages and calls along with its touch, disappearing messages. WhatsApp: It is world-famous for its end-to-end encryption, and it has a provision for both group chats and voice messaging. But with over 2 million users, some people get scared by its ownership by Meta. Brosix: A secure team communication platform ideal for business, featuring end-to-end encryption, chat controls, and collaboration tooling.
-Mattermost: Popular in the corporate world, Mattermost has additional secured messaging and collaboration features, like file sharing and private chat rooms. Microsoft Teams: Broadly a full-fledged platform, Microsoft Teams integrates with Microsoft 365 to offer options specializing in secured messaging, video conferencing, and real-time collaboration features.
## Comparison of Features and User Experience: Signal Vs. Telegram Comparison of Features: Signal and Telegram have almost similar features for messaging:
-Individual messages: Signal uses end-to-end encryption for all messages by default, whereas with Telegram, it only happens in “secret chats.”
Group chats: While both provide group messaging, Signal uses groups of up to 1,000 members and sets 200,000 in Telegram.
-Voice/Video calls: Both offer encrypted voice and video calling. Signal supports up to 40 users in group voice and video calls.
-Disappearing messages: Both have self-destructing message options.
## The latter, though, has some additional perks in certain areas:
Channels: Telegram helps to broadcast messages to large audiences.
Bots: Telegram inherently supports automation of conversations with bots.
This support, however, comes at the cost of privacy compromise.
Instant view: Telegram caches links for instant view.
# User Experience
Both apps are very easy to set up and use. More personalization options are there in Telegram like themes and color but Signal’s interface is very basic and easy to use.
One significant difference is that: Signal can take the spot of the original texts from your carrier, but Telegram can’t.
# Privacy and Security
Signal applies advanced protocols to scramble automatically every message that goes out. On the other end, Telegram scrambles only “secret chats” and had some criticism for the type of scrambling used.
Operated by a non-profit organisation working with a privacy focus, Telegram’s membership is Russian and has had some suspicion of being trustworthy.
Of the two, Signal is for those ultra privacy heads, but Telegram is packed with features and unlimited parameters. All in all, the best app depends on your specific needs and preferences.
