Telegram app a Safe Haven for Cyber Criminals: Police to High Court

The Kerala HC was on Monday informed by the state police that instant messaging mobile application ‘Telegram’ has become a safe haven for cyber criminals & pitched for bringing such apps under the purview of law. In an affidavit on a petition seeking a ban on Telegram, the state police’s Cyberdom operation officer submitted users of the app don't need to furnish their original name or mobile phone number to register for accessing it. Petitioner Atheena Solomon from Kozhikode alleged that child abuse & terrorism contents were made available on the platform.

The affidavit submitted criminals engaging in cyber crime use this facility & carry out fraudulent activities hiding their original identity. The app was being widely used for propagating pornographic materials & committing financial & credit card frauds, Cyberdome, a technological research & development Centre of the state Police conceived as a Cyber Centre of excellence in cyber security, added.

Police noted that a user of Telegram app could hide his registered mobile number even from the admins of groups or channels & could still be able to sent text, images, videos or files anonymously.

It also supported secret chat. Also, the app, whose servers were abroad, didn't provide any support to law enforcement agencies unlike other messaging apps such as WhatsApp & Facebook, the affidavit charged. It was becoming nearly impossible to trace users because of the unwillingness of the app providers to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies, the police contended & said there was a need to bring such applications under the law of the country.

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