DICT mulls banning Telegram if violations persist

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has raised the possibility of banning the encrypted messaging platform Telegram in the Philippines amid reports of child pornography and financial scams on the app.

“If we continue to find violations in OSAEC (online sexual abuse or exploitation of children) and illegal gambling, then we might ban them as a consequence,” DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said in a text message.

Previously, DICT, through the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), banned the AI chatbot Grok over its creation of sexually explicit deepfakes.

The ban was later lifted after successful negotiations with xAI, the Elon Musk-led developer of Grok.

Telegram is a cloud-based, encrypted messaging platform founded in 2013 by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov.

Known for its focus on privacy and security, the app allows users to send messages, photos, videos, and files of any type, as well as create large group chats and channels.

Telegram has gained popularity worldwide, particularly among users seeking alternatives to mainstream messaging apps.

However, its encryption and minimal content moderation have also made it a platform where illegal activities, such as scams and child exploitation, have occasionally surfaced.

In 2024, Durov was reportedly arrested in France over alleged criminal activities linked to his app, including child pornography, drug trafficking, and financial fraud.

In response to the reported ban, Ann Cuisia, CEO of TraxionTech, warned that “when we respond to misconduct by targeting the entire platform, we risk punishing far more innocent users than actual offenders.”

“Bad actors do not disappear when an app is blocked. They move. They adapt. They find another channel. What stays behind are disrupted small businesses, broken community groups, and growing uncertainty in our digital space,” Cuisia added.—MCG, GMA Integrated News