Government has the authority; major setback for Telegram as High Court refuses to lift ban

New Delhi. The Delhi High Court has delivered its verdict regarding Telegram. The High Court has upheld the Government of India’s decision to impose a temporary ban on Telegram in connection with the RE-NEET exam. The RE-NEET exam is scheduled for June 21 in India, and the temporary ban will remain in effect until June 22. The High Court affirmed that the government possesses the authority to take such action.

While announcing the decision regarding Telegram, the High Court stated that due process was fully followed. It noted that the emergency nature of the order and the reasons cited for it were sufficient. The Court rejected the argument that prior notice of the order should have been given.

The High Court observed that the Central Government had duly considered the available material. The Court upheld the five-day ban imposed on the Telegram app.

The High Court stated that there was no lack of deliberation in the order and found no grounds to exclude the app from the definition of ‘information’.

The High Court further noted that the IT Act empowers the government to ban an entire platform or app, confirming that the government had the authority to issue this order.

Telegram has faced allegations in the past
Telegram has previously faced multiple allegations regarding paper leaks and the circulation of fake question papers. Several reports have even claimed that fraudsters and cybercriminals extensively use this platform to carry out their activities.

Dialogue held with Telegram prior to the decision
The Solicitor General informed the Court that Telegram had been summoned and given a hearing. Their arguments and the findings of the subsequent inquiry have been placed on record. The government stated that the matter was heard by a committee led by the Cabinet Secretary. Telegram’s features are the reason behind the ban
The Telegram platform offers numerous features that have led to it facing a temporary ban. A single Telegram group can accommodate up to 200,000 members. Large files can be stored on the app, and accounts can be created without a mobile number.

Many have raised the question of how Telegram differs from WhatsApp, given that both are messaging apps. However, Telegram stands out significantly when it comes to privacy; it also allows users to create usernames.