Delhi High Court dismisses Telegram's petition, rules temporary government blockade legal; Durov criticizes 'punishing users'

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On June 19, Justice Tejas Karia of the Delhi High Court ruled that the Indian government has the authority to order the blocking of public access to Telegram, declaring the government’s blocking measures “legal and reasonable” in response to the leak of the NEET medical college entrance exam paper, and dismissed Telegram’s appeal. During the trial, Telegram accused the government of deliberately concealing the platform’s proactive content removal actions — the platform stated it had voluntarily deleted over 900 illegal links related to the exam content. The government countered that Telegram’s unique characteristics, such as easily recreated channels and the ability to hide phone numbers and usernames, pose an “ongoing enforcement challenge,” setting it apart from other platforms. Telegram has over 150 million users in India, its largest single market globally, and the app did not immediately comment on the ruling. After the verdict, the Internet Freedom Foundation of India stated that the case “sets a worrying precedent for the open internet, with implications far beyond this case.” Durov had previously publicly criticized the blocking order, saying it “penalizes platform users, while the exam paper leak had already moved to other channels.” The blocking order will remain in effect until June 22, coinciding with the date of the NEET supplementary exam.

Cybernews | Reuters