Telegram is getting banned in Spain

Starting from Monday, the messaging app Telegram will be temporarily suspended in Spain due to concerns raised by media companies. This decision comes from Judge Santiago Pedraz of the Audencia Nacional, a court that handles important cases.

Several media companies, such as Atresmedia, EGEDA, Mediaset, and Telefonica, filed complaints stating that Telegram was allowing users to share content without proper authorization. While these claims are under investigation, Judge Pedraz has agreed to block Telegram's services in Spain. It's stated that mobile operators will be responsible for enforcing this block.

The order was issued because authorities in the Virgin Islands, where Telegram is registered, didn't respond to a court request made in July 2023. The court needed information to identify the individuals behind the accounts uploading copyrighted content. Due to the lack of cooperation, Judge Pedraz saw it necessary to take this "precautionary measure."

However, some critics, like consumer advocacy group Facua, argue that the ruling is excessive and will harm millions of Telegram users. They liken it to shutting down the entire internet because of a few websites hosting illegal content.

Telegram is quite popular in Spain, being the fourth most used messaging service according to the CNMC, a competition watchdog. Almost 19% of Spaniards surveyed reported using Telegram.

Globally, Telegram boasts 700 million monthly active users. The company has faced similar issues in other countries, leading to blocks in places like Brazil and Somalia.

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