Telegram Being Exploited For Illegal Activities Like Terrorism, Cybercrime, Drug Trade: Centre Tells Delhi HC

Published 18 June 2026 · local

Telegram Being Exploited For Illegal Activities Like Terrorism, Cybercrime, Drug Trade: Centre Tells Delhi HC Published By, Last Updated: June 18, 2026, 15:22 IST The

Telegram Being Exploited For Illegal Activities Like Terrorism, Cybercrime, Drug Trade: Centre Tells Delhi HC Published By, Last Updated: June 18, 2026, 15:22 IST The government flagged the concern amid an ongoing legal battle over its decision to temporarily block Telegram’s operations in India ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. Centre temporarily blocks Telegram’s operations ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination. (Source: Reuters) The Centre on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that Telegram is being widely exploited for a range of illegal activities, including terrorism, cybercrime, drug trafficking, child exploitation, and financial fraud, while also describing the platform as a “new dark web" used by threat actors to evade detection. The government flagged the concern amid an ongoing legal battle over its decision to temporarily block Telegram’s operations in India ahead of the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21.

In its submissions, the government said Telegram has become a major conduit for malicious actors who use its channels to link users to dark web forums and deep web networks, making it difficult for authorities to track identities and attribute criminal activity. ‘Telegram Has Become New Dark Web’ “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. It further told the court that the platform is being misused across multiple categories of cyber-enabled offences. “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 privacy features," the Centre submitted.

‘Propagation Of Violent, Extremist, Radical Content’ The government also flagged concerns over the circulation of extremist and radical content on the platform, alleging that groups linked to terror organisations are using Telegram channels to spread violent propaganda and misinformation aimed at destabilising public order. “Extremist violent acts performed by terror organisations and other radical content is being propagated by telegram groups and channels by the entities which are associated with terrorist organisations to create misinformation or have the intention to destabilise public order," it said. At the same time, the Centre highlighted the platform’s alleged role in academic fraud, citing its use in the circulation of leaked examination papers, including NEET-related materials. It also raised concerns over child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM), stating that such content is being shared through Telegram channels and groups in violation of the law.