India's Telegram Ban: What It Means If You Use This Messaging App
India has temporarily banned the messaging app Telegram until June 22. The ban accidentally affected users in other countries too, including the United Arab Emirates.
Source
BleepingComputer
Original headline: India's Telegram ban hit the UAE too. Here's how to get around it
Plain-English summary by GetCyberRight. Read the full report at the source above.
India has blocked access to Telegram, a popular messaging app, until June
- The ban came after people used the app to share leaked examination papers. Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov claims that a telecom company called Reliance used a technical method called BGP hijacking to block the app. This disruption spread beyond India's borders and affected users as far away as the United Arab Emirates. This affects anyone in India who uses Telegram to communicate with family, friends, or for work. If you have relatives in India or the UAE, they may be unable to reach you through Telegram right now. The ban is temporary and scheduled to end on June
- However, the technical method used to block the service caused unintended disruptions in other countries as well. If you or your family members in India cannot access Telegram, here are your options:
- Wait until June 22 when the ban is scheduled to end.
- Use alternative messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, or regular text messages to stay in touch.
- If you need to access Telegram urgently, the article mentions MTProto proxy as a workaround, but this requires technical knowledge.
- Make sure family members know how to reach you through other communication methods during this time. For the future, do not rely on just one messaging app to stay connected with important contacts. Install at least two different communication apps on your phone. Make sure family members have multiple ways to reach you in case one service becomes unavailable. Keep phone numbers and email addresses as backup contact methods. This applies not just during government bans, but also during service outages, which can happen to any platform at any time.
Curated from trusted cybersecurity sources by GetCyberRight
Source: BleepingComputerStay ahead of cyber threats
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