Telegram being used for circulating child porn, carrying out cyberattacks: Government's big allegations

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jun 18, 2026 15:13 IST

The government has levelled a series of serious allegations against messaging platform Telegram, telling the Delhi High Court that the app has become the "new dark web" and is increasingly being used by criminals, cyber fraudsters, extremist groups and other threat actors to evade law enforcement.

In an affidavit accessed by India Today, the Centre alleged that Telegram has evolved into a key platform for a wide range of illegal activities, including the circulation of leaked examination papers such as NEET, cyber fraud, terrorism-linked propaganda, child sexual exploitation material, drug trafficking and financial crimes.

"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.

The affidavit states that Telegram's privacy and anonymity features have made it particularly attractive to criminal networks.

According to the Centre, users can conceal identifiers such as phone numbers and Telegram IDs through privacy settings, making it difficult for investigators to establish the real identities behind accounts.

"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 affidavit said.

The government also alleged that Telegram groups and channels are being used to spread violent extremist content and material linked to terrorist organisations.

"Extremist violent acts performed by terror organisations and other radical content is being propagated by Telegram groups and channels by entities associated with terrorist organisations to create misinformation or destabilise public order," the affidavit stated.

Among the most serious allegations is the circulation of Child Sexual Exploitative and Abuse Material (CSEAM) through Telegram channels and groups. The Centre said such content remains a major concern for enforcement agencies monitoring online platforms.

The affidavit further alleged that Telegram has become a hub for cybercriminal activity, with fraudsters creating fake accounts using false identities to carry out financial scams, publish data breaches and coordinate cyber offences.

Citing data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, the Centre said there has been a significant rise in complaints involving the misuse of Telegram as a medium for cyber fraud.

The government also flagged the alleged use of Telegram channels for the sale and purchase of mule bank accounts, which are often used to receive and transfer proceeds of cybercrime and money laundering operations.

According to the affidavit, cyber threat actors, hacker groups and other adversaries use Telegram channels and groups to coordinate attacks, distribute stolen data and share malicious tools.

The Centre claimed that some malicious Android applications use Telegram as a command-and-control platform to exfiltrate victims' data and device information. It also cited examples of Telegram channels allegedly advertising malware services, Google Play Protect bypass tools and malware disguised as financial applications.

In one instance cited by the government, a Telegram channel allegedly promoted tools designed to make malicious APK files appear undetectable to security systems. In another, a channel was allegedly advertising malware impersonating financial and payment-related services.

The affidavit also raised concerns about Telegram bots allegedly facilitating access to citizens' personal data, including mobile numbers, Aadhaar details and other sensitive information sourced from previously leaked databases.

Apart from cybercrime concerns, the Centre alleged that Telegram channels are widely used to distribute pirated movies, web series and other copyrighted content, causing losses to content creators and raising intellectual property concerns.

The affidavit was filed before the Delhi High Court and contains the Centre's allegations and assessment of risks associated with the platform.

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