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The temporary nationwide ban on Telegram in India has triggered a historic surge in VPN downloads across the country as millions of users bypass the government restriction.
Millions Bypass National Restriction
Consequently, the sudden blackout of the popular messaging platform has forced users to find immediate alternatives. Specifically, major Virtual Private Network (VPN) downloads in India surged by 49 percent following the restriction. Daily downloads of major privacy tools jumped from an average of 139,000 to over 208,000 on June 16.
Indeed, data from app intelligence firm Appfigures shows this is the largest single-day VPN spike since 2025. Simultaneously, popular security tools like Proton VPN and Turbo VPN have seen their installations skyrocket on major app platforms. For example, Apple App Store downloads of Proton VPN in India jumped by an impressive 113 percent.
Meanwhile, India orders temporary Telegram ban over exam fraud to prevent leakage of medical exam materials. However, tech experts say blocking the entire service has failed to keep users off the network. Therefore, many citizens are continuing their daily operations using these foreign servers.
Government Targets Exam Cheating
Additionally, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology executed the ban following allegations of exam fraud. The National Testing Agency claimed that bad actors used Telegram to distribute leaked NEET-UG test papers. Therefore, officials ordered Apple and Google to delist the application until June 22, 2026.
Ultimately, the drastic move has drawn heavy criticism from both everyday users and digital rights groups. In fact, Telegram currently has more than 150 million active users in India. Critics argue that blocking the entire platform unfairly punishes millions of innocent citizens.
As a result, other secure communication apps like Signal and Viber are gaining new sign-ups. According to reports on TechCrunch, the ban has also sparked a major legal battle. Legal experts say the government overreached by restricting access to a critical messaging hub.
Tech Giant Challenges Block
Subsequently, Telegram filed an urgent petition in the Delhi High Court to challenge the ban. Specifically, the platform argued that a total blackout violates constitutional protections for ordinary users. Furthermore, the company suggested that authorities should target specific bad channels instead of banning the app.
In contrast, government attorneys defended the ban as a necessary step for national security. They claimed to have uncovered shocking evidence of deep misuse of the platform. Meanwhile, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov questioned the timing of the government action.
Through this, Durov hinted that local telecom rivalries and competing apps could be behind the push. Meanwhile, the court has adjourned the matter to hear more arguments from both sides. For now, millions of Indian users will continue to rely on encrypted VPN tunnels.
