NewsPublished 17 Jun 2026

India's Telegram ban hit the UAE too. Here's how to get around it

Source Bleeping Computer

Description

India has banned Telegram until June 22 after the app was used to circulate leaked exam papers. CEO Pavel Durov accuses telecom Reliance of BGP hijacking that disrupted the app as far away as the UAE. Here's what happened, and how to get around the block with an MTProto proxy. [...]

Impact

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.

Defensive guidance

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.

References

bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/indias-telegram-ban-hit-the-uae-too-heres-how-to-get-around-it/ (opens in a new tab)

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AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 17 Jun 2026, 13:17 UTC

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