#Telegram ban in PH

The DICT is investigating whether Telegram should be blocked in the Philippines due to worries that it is being used for illicit gambling and pornography. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda reported that certain illegal gambling operators now conduct their operations through Telegram while the application maintains links to private images and videos. Aguda reported that his team faced challenges when they attempted to establish coordination with Telegram because the platform's management proved difficult to contact. The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said banning Telegram in the Philippines is no longer being considered. The DICT has reached an agreement with Telegram and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC). The DICT said in a Facebook post that a deal has been made after a meeting with Telegram representatives Ronak Singh and Abhimanyu Yadav. The agreement aims to create a safer digital space and includes several commitments from Telegram. Earlier this week, the DICT had hinted the possibility of banning Telegram. Read more in our articles including "Telegram faces possible ban as DICT reviews platform" and "DICT withdraws proposal to ban Telegram".