Indonesia, a country with more than 27 million Telegram users, is considering banning the platform, citing concerns about its ability to censor illegal content such as gambling and pornography.
Indonesia, one of Telegramâs biggest markets, is considering banning the platform over concerns about its ability to censor illegal content. Indonesian Communications and Information Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said the government is considering blocking Telegram over concerns about the spread of illegal content, including online gambling ads and pornography, the Jakarta Globe reported on August 29.
Along with Telegram, the live streaming app Bigo Live is also under the government's radar for similar allegations. Minister Budi said both Telegram and Bigo have promised to improve their content censorship as requested by the government. However, neither has yet implemented better censorship measures and come up with a clear solution. He warned that if there is further evidence of illegal content being distributed, a ban would be inevitable.
Top 5 countries with the most Telegram users as of July 2024. Source: Demadsage
Indonesia is currently Telegramâs third-largest market, with over 27 million app downloads, according to Demandsage data. Losing a major market like Indonesia would be a significant loss for Telegram, especially as CEO Pavel Durov faces legal charges in France related to his role at Telegram.
As of July 2024, Telegram has over 950 million monthly active users, with India having over 100 million users and Russia ranking second with 34 million users.
