Telegram ban decision in this EU country: What is the reason for the decision?

12PUNTO FOREIGN NEWS

The Spanish High Court has ordered internet providers to suspend the use of the Telegram instant messaging service until an investigation into allegations of copyright infringement is completed.

The decision on Friday came after four leading Spanish media organizations (Mediaset, Atresmedia, Movistar, and Egeda) filed a complaint arguing that Telegram allowed the unauthorized distribution of their content.

According to reports in the Spanish press, Judge Santiago Pedraz requested certain information from Telegram's owners as part of the investigation. Following the failure to comply with the request, he ordered that access to the application be blocked starting Monday.

The judge described the decision as a 'precautionary measure' and pointed to Telegram's lack of cooperation. The access ban is expected to remain in place throughout the investigation.

El Pais newspaper reported that Telegram was still largely accessible in Spain, although some users began reporting issues with the service on Friday night.

The consumer rights watchdog organization in Spain, FACUA, described the decision as 'absolutely disproportionate' and stated that blocking the popular service would cause 'enormous damage.'

FACUA Secretary General Ruben Sanchez said in a statement, "This would be like shutting down the internet because there are websites that illegally host copyrighted content, or cutting off the entire television signal because there are channels involved in piracy."

The President of the General Council of Professional Associations of Computer Engineering in Spain, Fernando Suarez, made a similar point, comparing the suspension of Telegram to 'completely shutting down a province in the country.'

According to a survey conducted by Spain's independent competition regulator CNMC, approximately 19% of Spaniards use Telegram.