Delhi/Hyderabad, June 18 (Maxim News): The central government has said that the popular messaging platform Telegram has become a major platform for illegal activities and cybercrimes. It has expressed concern that Telegram has transformed into a new ‘dark web’ these days and is being widely used by criminals, cyber fraudsters and terrorist groups to evade the law. To this end, the government filed a key affidavit in the Delhi High Court today.
Key points and allegations in the affidavit:
Leaked exam papers – questionable future: The government has said that Telegram channels have become a platform for the leakage and distribution of question papers of prestigious exams like NEET. This is putting the future of lakhs of students in the country at risk.
Cybercrimes, data leaks: According to data from the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, there has been a huge increase in complaints about cyber frauds taking place on the Telegram platform. Hackers and cybercriminals are using the platform to sell stolen data and purchase ‘mule bank accounts’ for money laundering.
Child Sexual Abuse Content (CSEAM): The court was told that child sexual abuse content is being spread through Telegram, posing a major challenge to security agencies.
Terrorist propaganda – Disruption to peace and order: Terrorist organizations and extremist groups are using Telegram groups to propagate their ideology and incite unrest in civil society by spreading false information.
Malware, Command and Control Hub: Some dangerous Android applications are using Telegram as a command and control platform to steal victims’ data. The Center told the court that malware in the form of tools to bypass Google Play Protect and fake finance apps are being openly advertised here.
Bots selling personal data: The government has stated that Telegram bots are working to access citizens’ mobile numbers, other government identification card details, and sensitive personal information based on previously leaked databases.
Piracy Arena: The Centre stated in its affidavit that not only cybercrimes but also unauthorized distribution of new movies, web series, and copyrighted content is causing huge financial losses to content creators.
Privacy features that are blocking the law:
The Centre explained in an affidavit that Telegram’s excessive privacy and anonymity features have become a shield for criminals. The Centre told the court that the facility for users to hide their phone numbers and Telegram IDs has made it extremely difficult for investigative agencies to identify the real people behind the crimes. (Maxim News)
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