Spanish High Court Orders Telegram Service Suspension

JAKARTA - The Spanish High Court has ordered the suspension of the Telegram messaging application service in the country after media companies complained that Telegram allowed users to upload their content without permission.

The use of Telegram in Spain will be temporarily suspended starting Monday, March 25 after requests from media companies including Atresmedia, EGEDA, Mediaset, and Telefonica.

Judge Santiago Pedraz approved blocking Telegram services in Spain as long as the claims were investigated. According to court sources, it will be the responsibility of the mobile phone provider to block Telegram services.

Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A High Court spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

According to CNMC's competition watchdog, Telegram is Spain's fourth most widely used messaging service. Telegram is used by nearly 19% of Spaniards surveyed by CNMC.

The company claims that by 2023, it will have more than 700 million monthly active users worldwide.