On June 16, 2026, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered a nationwide ban on Telegram until June 22, 2026, following the platform's exploitation to distribute leaked NEET exam papers. The ban also restricts Telegram's message-editing feature until June 30. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov accused Indian telecom Reliance Communications (AS18101) of using BGP hijacking to enforce the block, which caused collateral disruption to Telegram users in the UAE and elsewhere. BGP hijacking occurs when a network announces IP address ranges it does not control, redirecting or dropping traffic. Public routing data confirmed AS18101 announced Telegram prefixes globally, leaking via FLAG Telecom (AS15412). Internet analysts concluded the hijack was likely an accidental misconfiguration linked to the domestic block rather than intentional sabotage. The ban aims to curb exam fraud after leaked papers circulated on Telegram channels and bots. Telegram removed hundreds of offending channels but the government proceeded with the ban as a last resort. The Internet Freedom Foundation criticized the ban as disproportionate and constitutionally questionable. Affected users can bypass the block using Telegram's built-in MTProto proxy feature, which routes traffic through intermediary nodes to evade ISP-level censorship while maintaining end-to-end encryption. The ban's impact is significant on students who rely on Telegram for affordable study resources. Telegram is challenging the ban in the Delhi High Court.

The ban disrupted Telegram access for millions of users in India and caused collateral service outages in the UAE due to a BGP hijack by Indian telecom AS18101. The restriction on message editing limits Telegram's functionality in India until June 30. The ban affects legitimate users, particularly students who depend on Telegram for study materials and coaching content, impeding their exam preparation. The BGP hijack caused network-level traffic disruption beyond India's borders, impacting users in other countries. The ban aims to prevent exam fraud but has been criticized for its broad and disproportionate impact on the platform's large user base. Telegram's removal of offending channels did not prevent the government from enforcing the block.

The ban and routing disruption are government-imposed and not a traditional vulnerability with a patch. Telegram users affected by the block can restore access by configuring MTProto proxies within the Telegram app, which obfuscate traffic to bypass ISP-level censorship. Users should only use trusted proxy operators to avoid metadata exposure. Layering a trusted VPN on top of the proxy can further protect user privacy. Telegram is legally challenging the ban in the Delhi High Court, which may result in a shortened restriction period. Network operators are advised to reject unauthorized BGP announcements from AS18101 to prevent routing hijacks. No official patch or fix applies as this is a censorship and routing incident rather than a software vulnerability.