It further added that Telegram’s privacy features have made it particularly attractive to criminal networks.
Telegram has become the new dark web and due to its privacy features, the platform is being exploited for illegal activities including terrorism and child exploitation, the Government of India told the Delhi High Court on Thursday as it defended the temporary ban ahead of the June 21 NEET-UG re-examination.
The Centre made the submissions during a hearing on a plea filed by Telegram challenging the Centre’s ban.
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“Telegram has become the new dark web, linking threat actors. Criminals have rapidly adopted Telegram to post links on channels that connect to dark web forums through deep web links, making it hard for authorities to track and attribute criminals,” the Centre said in its affidavit.
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It further added that Telegram’s privacy features have made it particularly attractive to criminal networks, flagging its backdated editing feature that could create unrest after the NEET exam.
According to the Centre, users can conceal identifiers such as phone numbers and Telegram IDs through privacy settings, making it difficult for investigators to establish the real identities behind accounts.
“Telegram can backdate question papers, students will be on the streets. They can post something today with editing and say that it (paper) was already available on June 19. That is where public order comes in,” the Centre submitted.
The affidavit further stated that Telegram’s privacy features are the “real threat”.
“It has been observed that Telegram is being exploited for illegal activities including drug trafficking, cybercrime, extremism, terrorism, child exploitation, and cyber scams and frauds, primarily due to its privacy features,” the affidavit said.
The Government also flagged that Telegram allows users to conceal their identity and the feature impedes the ability of law enforcement agencies to identify co-conspirators, trace communication chains, and establish attribution during the course of an investigation.
Amid the ongoing nationwide protests over the NEET-UG paper leak, the government is not willing to take any risks ahead of the re-examination.
Several measures have been taken to stop the leak and the ban on Telegram was one of them. Acting on the National Testing Agency’s request, the Ministry of Electronics and IT blocked Telegram in India until June 22.
Additionally, the platform has also been ordered to restrict its backdated editing feature till June 30.
The NEET-UG 2026 re-examination is scheduled to be held on June 21 across the country.
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