Hyderabad: Telegram, an instant messenger app, is giving a tough time to anti-terror intelligence agencies, which are battling the radicalisation of youths by Islamic State of Iraq and AlSham (ISIS/ISIL).
State police agencies, including that of Telan-gana and Andhra Pradesh, have written to the Union home ministry seeking a ban on Telegram, which is refusing to block certain usernames, bots and channels propagating terror and jihadi ideology.
Telegram, which was developed by the Russians and is based in Germany, has refused to cooperate with Indian intelligence agencies in sharing information and metadata.
Intelligence agencies are able to pull down or block YouTube links, Google search results and Facebook pages, but not the Telegram app which is encrypted and also has the facility to self-destruct messages.
A top source in the police department said, “They haven’t responded to any of our requests. We have brought this to the notice of the Union home ministry. There is a serious demand from various agencies to ban the Telegram app.”
Telegram was in focus during ISIS attacks in France. Telegram claims on its website, “To this day, we have disclosed 0 bytes of user data to third parties, including governments.”
Telegram promises user privacy
Germany-based Telegram claims itself to be the protector of an individual’s privacy and is against sharing their conversations to third parties.
According to Telegram, it does block terrorist bots and channels, but will not block anybody who peacefully expresses opinions.”
A senior Intelligence official of AP said, “Most of these instant messenger apps are less cooperative, stating privacy laws, the server being based elsewhere, and applicability of Indian laws. Telegram is most adamant and does not even share metadata. However, there are around 3,000 apps, and if we stop one app, terror suspects may use some other app.”
Telegram further says on its website that ‘Big internet companies like Facebook or Google have effectively hijacked the privacy discourse.
