Telegram Being Used for Illegal Activities Like Terrorism, Drugs, Cyber Crimes,...: Union Govt Tells Delhi High Court

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that Telegram is increasingly being used for illegal activities. The government said the social media platform is being used for terrorism, cybercrime, drug trafficking, child exploitation, and financial fraud.

Calling the messaging platform a “new dark web,” the union government said threat actors are exploiting its features to evade law enforcement and conceal their identities. Telegram has emerged as a key channel for malicious networks to connect users with dark web forums and deep web ecosystems, the government argued, adding that the platform’s structure makes it difficult for authorities to trace users and attribute criminal activity.

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Therefore, the platform raises serious concerns over national security, public safety, and the integrity of critical examinations. The remarks came during a hearing on the government’s decision to temporarily block Telegram’s operations ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination on June 21.

Telegram had approached the Delhi High Court against the government’s decision to impose a ban on the platform.  The platform had argued that the ban would affects millions of other users without resolving the problem, noting that the ban due to some users illegal activities punishes over 150 million ordinary Telegram users.

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