No relief for Telegram as Delhi High Court allows temporary India block to continue

In a recent ruling, the Delhi High Court has decided to uphold the Indian government's temporary ban on the messaging service Telegram. This decision comes just days before the NEET 2026 re-examination, which is set to take place on June 21. Justice Tejas Karia delivered the verdict, allowing the restrictions to remain in place until June 22. The Centre initiated this temporary block based on recommendations from the National Testing Agency and the Department of Higher Education, citing fears that Telegram could be misused to disseminate leaked exam materials, including question papers and answer keys. In response, Telegram argued in court that they have been proactive in combating the spread of illegal content related to NEET. The company claimed to have removed over 900 links and employed advanced AI and machine learning technologies to identify and eliminate such content. However, the government expressed concerns regarding the platform's technical framework, particularly its use of automated accounts and bots, which can facilitate the rapid spread of messages without consistent human oversight. The ban was promptly enacted, with Indian telecom providers restricting access to Telegram and platforms like Google and Apple pulling the app from their stores. During the proceedings, the court highlighted the potential impact on Telegram's vast user base in India, questioning whether the broad block was justified given the rights of approximately 150 million users. Justice Karia posed a critical inquiry to the Centre, asking if it was appropriate to impose such restrictions for the sake of a limited group of exam-takers. Telegram's CEO, Pavel Durov, publicly condemned the government's action, asserting that the ban disproportionately impacts everyday users rather than those who leaked the exam materials. He emphasized that this decision effectively punishes more than 150 million regular Telegram users in India, rather than targeting the responsible parties involved in the leaks.