Google restores Telegram on Play Store after temporary ban ends

Google restored Telegram on the Play Store after a temporary government ban ended at midnight on June 22. The app became accessible to some users, while it remained unavailable on Apple's App Store. Authorities had imposed the ban over examination-related concerns

New Delhi: Google restored instant messaging app Telegram on Tuesday morning after a temporary ban imposed by the government ended at midnight on June 22.

The platform was accessible to some existing users before Google restored it.

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The app continued to remain delisted on Apple’s App Store till around 10 am.

An emailed query sent to Apple did not elicit an immediate response in this regard.

The government had temporarily imposed a blanket ban on Telegram until June 22, and sources indicated that there was no change or extension of the timeline in the order.

The government had ordered the ban on Telegram following its failure to prevent the circulation of fake examination papers of NEET, dissemination of misleading information, and other fraudulent activities that impacted the examination process.

Before imposing the ban, government officials met Telegram representatives on June 3, when these concerns were flagged.

Thereafter, the Centre decided to block the app and its associated web links, including the web version, till June 22.

Telegram has also been directed to block its message-editing feature till June 30.

The NEET re-examination was conducted on June 21, and so far there has been no report of any fraudulent activity.

Telegram Founder and CEO Pavel Durov had criticised India’s IT Ministry for banning Telegram for one week because some users shared leaked exam questions. He alleged that Reliance, in which Meta has a partial stake, may have lobbied, along with its competitor WhatsApp, to impose the ban on the company’s app in the country.