Messaging platform Telegram, which is facing a ban in India, has not got any relief from the court. Delhi High Court, while rejecting Telegram’s petition, said that the government’s decision to impose a ban cannot be called wrong or unfair. This decision of the High Court is being considered as a big blow for Telegram. It is noteworthy that the government had ordered Telegram to be shut down by June 22 and its message-editing feature to be disabled by June 30; Telegram had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court challenging this order.
How many users of Telegram are there in India?
Telegram has crores of users in India. Responding to the ban order, the company’s CEO said that the government order is actually punishing 15 crore users. According to various reports, India was Telegram’s largest market, with more than 100 million active users.
How much loss has Telegram suffered due to the ban?
Loss of user base – Although the Indian government has not imposed any financial penalty on Telegram, this temporary ban is likely to cause huge losses to the company. The biggest impact has been on its user base. Due to not being able to use Telegram, users are switching to other apps and the results are already visible. Reports suggest that after the ban, downloads of Signal app in India have increased by 72% on Apple App Store and 322% on Google Play Store. Similarly, Viber app downloads have increased by 216%.
Loss of revenue – Although the ban on Telegram is currently temporary, the government has made serious allegations against the platform in its affidavit given in the court. The government alleges that Telegram has become a new “dark web” and is being used for terrorist activities. If the ban is extended or the government takes any further action, Telegram’s user base may decline, which will certainly impact the company’s monetization efforts.
Damage to the company’s image – The ban and allegations made by the government can cause a major blow to Telegram’s reputation. Given the government’s allegations against Telegram, many people may now avoid connecting to this platform. The company will also have to face its consequences. Seen from this perspective, this ban is a big blow for Telegram.