Telegram founder Pavel Durov has publicly accused Indian telecom company Reliance of disrupting access to Telegram for users outside India through what he described as a “rogue method” known as BGP hijacking.
In a post, Durov alleged that the disruption was affecting millions of Telegram users outside India, including users in the United Arab Emirates. He claimed that the alleged interference appeared intentional and stated that Reliance had ignored multiple reports regarding the issue.
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Allegations of Network Interference
According to Durov, the alleged disruption involved unauthorized Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) announcements originating from Reliance’s network. He asserted that these actions were interfering with Telegram’s accessibility and internet routing.
Durov further advised network operators to reject what he described as unauthorized BGP announcements from Reliance, identified in the post as AS18101. He said such measures would help prevent route hijacks and maintain stable internet access for users.
Claims of Competitive Motives
The Telegram founder also suggested that the alleged actions could be linked to commercial competition. In the post, he stated that Reliance is partially owned by Meta, the company behind WhatsApp, and speculated that the disruption could be part of a broader competitive conflict.
Durov’s comments did not include evidence within the post to support the allegation. The post nevertheless attracted significant attention online, recording around one million views shortly after publication.
Remarks on Telegram’s Position in India
In addition to the network-related allegations, Durov claimed he would not be surprised if Reliance and WhatsApp were involved in lobbying efforts aimed at banning Telegram in India.
