New Delhi, June 19:
The Centre on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that the Telegram messaging app was being exploited for illegal activities ranging from cybercrime and financial frauds to terrorism and circulation of leaked examination papers.
This was stated in an affidavit filed by scientist Mayank working with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology seeking dismissal of the plea by Telegram against the Centre’s action to temporarily restrict access to the app ahead of June 21 NEET-UG re-examination.
Citing a report of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), the affidavit said that the app had become a preferred platform for cybercriminals, who use fake accounts, concealed identities, channels and groups to carry out unlawful activities, including financial frauds, malware distribution, data breaches and circulation of leaked papers.
“Telegram is being exploited for illegal activities including drug trafficking, cybercrime, extremism, terrorism, child exploitation, and cyber scams and frauds, primarily due to privacy features,” the affidavit said.