Telegram ban in India sparks a rush to VPNs, rival apps

In response to India's recent decision to suspend access to the messaging platform Telegram for a week due to concerns over exam-related fraud, users have flocked to virtual private networks (VPNs) and alternative messaging applications in unprecedented numbers. According to Appfigures, a firm specializing in app intelligence, the day India announced the Telegram restrictions saw a dramatic spike in VPN app downloads, marking it as the highest daily total since early 2025. Downloads surged by 49%, skyrocketing from a recent daily average of 139,000 to 208,000. Notably, Proton VPN and Turbo VPN experienced significant increases, with Proton VPN downloads on Apple's App Store in India soaring by 113% and Turbo VPN by 85%. On Google Play, Proton VPN's downloads increased by 64%, while Turbo VPN's rose by 35%. Other VPN services, such as NordVPN and ExpressVPN, also saw notable upticks in user downloads. This surge in VPN usage followed the Indian government's announcement to temporarily restrict Telegram until June 22, as authorities expressed concerns that fraudsters were exploiting the platform ahead of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), one of the country’s largest entrance examinations. The government justified the ban as a necessary step to prevent the circulation of fake exam materials and related scams. Telegram has contested this government order in the Delhi High Court, arguing that the authorities should focus on specific illicit content rather than imposing a blanket ban on the entire platform. Following the announcement, Proton reported a significant increase in user registrations, with daily sign-ups from India jumping 120% above normal levels. Windscribe, another VPN provider, also noted a similar trend, with new sign-ups reaching 100% above baseline levels. The response from users extended beyond VPNs. Appfigures reported a remarkable 72% increase in downloads of Signal on Apple’s App Store and an astonishing 322% rise on Google Play. Viber also saw a boost, with its App Store downloads climbing by 216%. Meanwhile, the Telegram-linked messaging app iMe experienced one of the sharpest increases, with downloads on Google Play leaping from approximately 827 to 50,900 on June 16. Interestingly, despite the ban, Telegram's daily active user count in India increased by 17% on the day of the announcement, marking the largest day-over-day growth since a widespread outage of Meta's services in 2021. Data from Cloudflare Radar indicated a significant rise in DNS requests for Telegram domains in India following the announcement, although higher DNS traffic does not guarantee successful access to the app. In the ongoing legal discussions, Telegram's legal team highlighted their cooperation with the government by removing channels flagged by authorities. However, they questioned the necessity of a platform-wide block affecting what they claim are over 150 million users in India. Government officials defended the temporary ban as a measure linked to the upcoming NEET re-test, asserting that it was a proportionate response to a pressing issue. As the Delhi High Court hears arguments from both sides, the outcome remains uncertain, echoing similar global debates about government restrictions on major online platforms. The situation in India is reminiscent of previous instances where VPN downloads surged following app bans, such as the 40% increase in the U.S. when TikTok faced removal from app stores in 2025.