Starting Monday, the use of the messaging application Telegram in Spain will be temporarily suspended. This decision comes in response to a request made by media companies.
The order was issued by Judge Santiago Pedraz of the Audencia Nacional, a high court known for handling sensitive cases.
Several media companies, such as Atresmedia, EGEDA, Mediaset, and Telefonica, expressed their dissatisfaction with Telegram for enabling users to upload content without obtaining permission.
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As the investigation into the claims is underway, Pedraz has decided to restrict access to Telegram’s services in Spain. As per the information from a court source, mobile operators will be tasked with blocking Telegram’s services.
Why was the directive given out?
The judge issued the order due to the lack of response from officials in the Virgin Islands, where Telegram is registered, to a court request made in July 2023.
The court sought information to determine the individuals responsible for the accounts in question, which were uploading content that appeared to be pirated.
In Friday’s order, the judge mentioned that he had to take a “precautionary measure” due to the lack of cooperation from the Virgin Islands.
Consumer group strongly criticises ruling
The ruling received strong criticism from consumer advocacy group Facua, who expressed concern over the potential “enormous damage” it could inflict on millions of users of the platform.
“The internet shutdown seems to be a result of websites hosting copyrighted content illegally,” commented Ruben Sanchez, Facua’s general secretary.
