The Delhi blast has once again brought back attention to the role of the popular social media app Telegram in terrorism related incidents. According to reports, Umar Mohammad, the doctor suspected of carrying out the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, was communicating with his handlers through Telegram. According to an NDTV report, the suspect ad been part of a radicalised network of medical professionals communicating through the messaging app.
NDTV report quoting a senior official in Delhi Police said, Umar had ties to the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). According to reports, he allegedly triggered the explosion after “panicking” when two of his associates, also doctors and considered core to the module, were detained in recent days.
Telegram’s Role Under Scrutiny
Telegram has millions of users worldwide. It is known for providing a secure messaging platform. However, it is the encrypted structure of the app that has been used by terrorists to evade the authorities. According to the reports and studies, the app has been used several times by terrorists for extremist networks, criminal trade, disinformation, child sexual abuse content, and hate propaganda.
A 2024 study shared with the BBC highlights how Telegram’s features may inadvertently drive users toward extremist content. The report, compiled by the US-based Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), examined the app’s “similar channels” recommendation tool. It found that even users engaging with ordinary topics, such as celebrity news or technology, were steered toward extremist groups. Those already exposed to one extremist ideology, such as anti-government messaging, were further pushed toward related networks promoting antisemitism or white supremacist content.
Telegram, in response, maintains that users “are only presented with content they have chosen to engage with” and says it removes millions of harmful posts every day.
History of Telegram Used For Extremism
Concerns about extremist activity on Telegram date back nearly a decade. At a 2015 TechCrunch event, Telegram’s founder, Russian billionaire Pavel Durov, said, “The right for privacy is more important [to Telegram] than our fear of bad things happening, like terrorism.” Two months later, the Islamic State carried out coordinated attacks across Paris, killing 130 people and injuring 350. Investigations later found the attackers had relied partly on Telegram and WhatsApp to organise the assault.
Since then, Telegram has pledged to remove ISIS-linked content from public channels. Reports from the Counter Extremism Project (CEP) suggest that while ISIS propaganda still appears on the app, its presence is now more unstable and limited.
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
