Why Modi government is calling Telegram 'new dark web'
What's the story
The Ministry of Home Affairs has flagged Telegram as "the new dark web" in a recent report. The document, prepared by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), claims that the messaging platform is being misused for a variety of illegal activities. These include drug trafficking, cybercrime, extremism, terrorism, child exploitation as well as cyber scams and frauds.
Anonymity issues
Anonymity on platform major hurdle in tackling illegal activities
The I4C report also raised concerns over the anonymity provided by Telegram. It noted that the platform allows users to hide their phone numbers, making it hard to trace their real identities. This feature has been flagged as a major hurdle in tackling the illegal activities being conducted on the platform.
Extremism concerns
Telegram's role in promoting extremist activities
The report also highlighted Telegram's alleged involvement in promoting extremist activities. It said that violent acts committed by terror organizations were promoted on the platform to disrupt public order. Further, it flagged the distribution of child sexual abuse material through various Telegram usernames, bots, and groups as another major concern.
Financial frauds
Using Telegram to trade information on mule bank accounts
The I4C report revealed that cyber criminals are using Telegram to trade information on mule bank accounts. These accounts can be used for money laundering and cyber-enabled financial fraud. The document further cited cases of malicious apps masquerading as genuine banking apps being sent to victims via the platform in a bid to steal their personal information.
Fraud increase
Complaints and losses related to cyber fraud
Data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) shows a massive spike in complaints and losses related to cyber fraud over the last four years. In 2023, there were 75,688 registered complaints involving defrauded amounts of ₹1,359 crore. This number surged to 2,48,324 complaints with losses worth ₹1,940 crore in 2024. The trend continued into 2025 with further increases and till May this year had recorded 88,713 complaints involving ₹748 crore in defrauded amounts.