- India blocked Telegram till June 22 to prevent exam cheating
- The blocking triggered a surge in VPN usage as citizens look for workarounds
- Telegram is now challenging the ruling in court
Millions of internet users in India are flocking to VPN after the government ordered a temporary block on popular messaging platform Telegram.
David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, has already confirmed a +150% increase over normal levels, noting the rapid influx of new users trying to bypass the sudden censorship.
For regular internet users, this underlines how important a reliable one is VPN service has come into being to maintain uninterrupted access to basic communication tools. A virtual private network masks your real IP address and routes your connection through a secure server in another country, so you can easily unblock restricted apps like Telegram.
.@ProtonVPN hourly registrations from India increase by +150% Thursday night as MeitY blocks Telegram for 150 million users due to leaked exam questions. pic.twitter.com/vdG2tEJaklJune 16, 2026
The temporary restriction, which runs till June 22, 2026, was implemented by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to prevent cheating ahead of the controversial NEET-UG medical entrance exam.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) requested the blackout, claiming that bad actors were using the app’s message editing feature to spread fabricated exam papers and leak fake certificates. In response, Telegram is challenging the Indian government’s order in the Delhi High Court to restore the service.
The BGP Hijacking Controversy
The technical implementation of the ban has also sparked great controversy, extending the impact far beyond India’s borders. To enforce the block, Indian ISPs have reportedly resorted to manipulating global Internet traffic routes.
Doug Madory, Director of Internet Analytics at Kentik, reported that telecom Reliance “AS18101 from India hijacked BGP routes belonging to Telegram.” BGP, or Border Gateway Protocol, is the underlying system that routes traffic over the Internet. When a provider hijacks these routes, it essentially creates a false detour that sends traffic into a black hole.
This method caused serious security breaches and accidentally blocked Telegram for users in countries like the United Arab Emirates. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov publicly condemned the move, claiming the Indian telco was sabotaging global access and advising network operators worldwide to reject the unauthorized Internet routing messages.
India’s Track Record of Internet Restrictions
While the Telegram block has grabbed international headlines, sudden internet outages are a common occurrence in India. According to research by Surfshark, India ranks first in Asia and in the world by number of restrictions.
Since 2015, the country has enforced at least 170 internet restrictions, far exceeding any other nation. In June 2026 alone, the government implemented localized internet shutdowns in Uttarakhand, Jaipur and Haryana to maintain public order. It is worth noting that localized restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir are counted separately.
Telegram is also no stranger to censorship. Apart from India, the messaging app has been blocked in other countries worldwide. Historically, around 30 different countries have disrupted the platform at least once, often during periods of political turmoil or highly contentious national events.
For consumers, the takeaway is clear: As governments increasingly resort to app bans and network manipulation, having a secure VPN installed on your devices is no longer just an extra layer of privacy; it is a must-have tool to keep your digital life online.
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