Telegram CEO Pavel Durov directly accused Reliance of orchestrating a BGP hijacking. Durov alleged this was part of a competitive war, citing Reliance's Meta investment and WhatsApp's rivalry. An anonymous telecom source immediately dismissed the claims as "fake news," pointing to Durov's confusion between two Reliance entities.
How We Got Here
Durov's allegations surface as the Indian government ordered Apple and Google to delist Telegram until June 22. This delisting aims to curb NEET-UG paper leak circulation, following a May 3 exam cancellation.
The Numbers
- Durov specifically identified Reliance's autonomous system number (AS18101) in his BGP hijacking claim.
- The alleged BGP issue impacts millions of Telegram users, including those in the United Arab Emirates.
- An industry source stated AS18101 belongs to Reliance Communications, separate from Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Jio.
- Meta made a minority investment in Jio in 2020, holding no role in its day-to-day operations.
- Indian authorities also directed Telegram to disable message-editing for past posts in India until June 30.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For Bangalore-based product managers relying on Telegram's group features for rapid internal communication, this potential ban highlights increasing government control over platform functionality.
The Take
This whole incident smacks of a classic misdirection. The real story here is the Indian government's increasingly strong arm over platform features, using the NEET-UG exam as justification to push for broad content control.
Source:
YourStory ↗