Kerala HC Disposes Of PIL Seeking To Block Access To ‘Telegram’ In India

The Kerala High Court recently rejected a PIL seeking to block access to the instant messaging service ‘Telegram’ in India.

Division Bench of Chief Justice of Kerala High Court S Manikumar and Justice Murali Purushothaman disposed of the PIL on the submission of the central government counsel that the petitioner can approach the Grievance Officer of the messaging service under Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, for removal of objectionable content.

The PIL was filed by a woman who contended that Telegram was circulating obscene content featuring women & children on the messaging application.

The PIL stated that “Telegram was also being used to promote terrorism and was creating disharmony in society. Telegram has no nodal officer or a registered office in India and investigating agencies were unable to ensure proper investigation as the users are not required to disclose their identity on the application.”

Therefore, the central government counsel pointed out that apart from lodging a complaint with the Grievance Officer of the intermediary platform.

The petitioner also has the option of lodging a complaint with the appropriate law enforcement agency or the cyber crime cell for any cognizable offense committed under the IPC or any other applicable law.
Central government counsel stated that the petitioner can also make use of the Cybercrime Reporting Portal to report cybercrime.