India's Telegram ban to fight exam fraud drives VPN downloads
Technology
When Telegram was temporarily banned in India on June 16 to fight exam fraud, people quickly found a workaround: VPNs.
Downloads of the top 100 VPN apps shot up by 76%, with nearly 1 million downloads on June 17 alone, marking the highest daily total since early last year.
VPNs surge as Telegram alternatives soar
Proton VPN's downloads jumped by 157%, Ninja VPN by 669%, and ExpressVPN by 345%.
While Telegram itself barely got any downloads that day, alternatives like Telegram X and Signal soared, showing just how fast users adapt when their favorite platforms go offline.
Proton VPN tops Google Play tools
By June 19, Proton VPN became the most downloaded app in Google Play's tools category.
This surge highlights how users rely on privacy tools to stay connected, even when faced with sudden bans.