In Spain, the blocking of Telegram is looming after the judge of the National Court, Santiago Pedraz, order the precautionary suspension of the application. This measure was taken following a complaint filed by Mediaset, Atresmedia and Movistar Plus for the alleged unauthorized use of audiovisual content subject to copyright.
However, different countries have also chosen to veto the use of Telegram. In contrast to the situation in Spain, where the decision comes from a judge, in other places it is the executives who make the determination to block the application. This censorship usually coincides with citizen protests, or is justified in for the sake of “national security.”
Examples of temporary censorship
During the social protests of July 2021 in Cubaaccess to Telegram, among other platforms, was restricted amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A similar situation was experienced in Thailand during the 2020 protests. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission was ordered to block Telegram to prevent its use by protesters. In both Thailand and Cuba the Telegram service has returned to normal operation
In Brazil, last year, Telegram faced temporary restrictions due to its refusal to cooperate with authorities regarding right-wing extremist groups, while they investigated neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic content amid violent attacks on schools.
Absolute blockade in certain countries
In China, since 2015, the app and its website are blocked after a DDoS attack to its servers in Asia-Pacific. This type of attack consists of sending massive traffic to a website to collapse. Since then, it can only be accessed through virtual private networks or VPNs.
Another example is Iran, which has closed the application since 2018. The judicial authorities permanently blocked Telegram, due to the platform's refusal to cooperate with the authorities in monitoring citizens, according to the then director of the platform.
Finally, in Pakistan, in 2017, the blocking of Telegram was ordered by the Telecommunications Authority amid protests against changes in the electoral law in Islamabad. This blockage persists to this day.