Telegram's Fate In Spain After Being Banned By The Government, Now Can Be Accessed Again

Telegram messaging application. (Photo; Doc. Mashable)

JAKARTA - Telegram, an instant messaging app, must face major operational challenges in Spain. Audiencia Nacional, one of the country's highest courts, has issued a temporary ban on Telegram. This step was taken in response to Telegram's involvement in cases related to the organization of unauthorized content.

Four major media companies in Spain, namely Mediaset, Atresmedia, Movistar, and Egeda, claim that Telegram is used as a platform to procure and disseminate content generated by them without permission, violating national copyright law.

According to a Euronews report, Santiago Pedraz, the judge who handled the case, needed some information from Telegram to advance the investigation. However, Telegram was not responsive, so Pedraz issued a temporary ban until the company collaborated in the investigation.

The ban is scheduled to take effect Monday, March 25, and some operators have started blocking access to the app over the weekend in accordance with orders. While this ban does not have an expiration date, legal sources have stated that this may be temporary and will only last a few days.

This action affects 8 million users in Spain, which is 18% of the national population. Some of them have expressed their disapproval of this action on social media, vowing to use alternative methods to keep access to the platform despite the restrictions imposed.

Constrained By Similar Problems In Other Countries

Telegram has faced similar measures in other countries. For example, in April, the app was temporarily banned in Brazil due to a lack of cooperation in the national campaign against school violence. Also, in 2018, Russian courts ordered blocking access to messaging applications after failing to provide the key needed to decrypt user messages as part of an investigation into international terrorist groups.

However, the latest news shows that this temporary ban has been suspended by a Spanish court. However, this situation can still change and users in Spain are advised to use VPN services in order to access this application if the blocking is reinstated.