Telegram has lost its attempt to overturn an Indian government order that temporarily blocked the messaging app, after a New Delhi court ruled that the restriction was lawful and justified.
The decision supports a government directive that banned Telegram in India from June 16 to June 22, a move taken amid concerns over alleged exam fraud linked to a major medical entrance test.
Authorities said the action was necessary after the country’s National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) was disrupted last month when reports emerged that question papers had been leaked and circulated online, raising concerns about widespread cheating.
Delhi High Court Justice Tejas Karia ruled that the government has legal authority to issue such blocking orders, stating that the intervention was within its regulatory powers.
“The government is "empowered ... to issue directions for blocking the public access to Telegram," Delhi High Court Justice Tejas Karia said in his ruling.
Telegram, which has more than 150 million users in India and is its largest market globally, did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the court’s decision. The Indian government also declined to comment further on the ruling.
The ban has sparked a wider debate in India over digital rights and government control of online platforms. Free speech advocates argue that the ruling could set a precedent allowing authorities to block messaging apps more easily in future cases.
“It sets a concerning precedent with consequences for the open internet that extend well beyond this case,” digital rights group Internet Freedom Foundation said on X after the verdict.
The government defended its decision by saying Telegram presents unique enforcement challenges, including the ease with which blocked channels can be recreated and the platform’s use of anonymity features such as hidden phone numbers and usernames.
Officials argued these features made it difficult to control the spread of leaked exam materials and justified the temporary restriction.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized the ban, saying it unfairly punishes millions of users in India while failing to address the real sources of leaked content, which he said had simply moved to other platforms.
The app was briefly taken offline and removed from app stores during the enforcement period, with major tech companies including Google and Apple complying with the government order within hours.
The case has become one of the most high-profile legal disputes between a global technology company and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration this year, highlighting growing tensions between digital platforms and regulatory authorities in India.
Earlier reporting showed that Telegram had been in private discussions with officials before the ban, with the government accusing the platform of not acting quickly enough to remove channels sharing leaked exam papers.
Telegram, however, told the court it had already taken down more than 900 links connected to illegal exam-related content, arguing that it had been actively cooperating with enforcement efforts.
