Pavel Durov, the founder of messaging platform Telegram, has publicly accused Indian telecom giant Reliance of deliberately sabotaging access to Telegram for millions of users outside India through a technique known as BGP hijacking. In a statement posted on his official channel, Durov claimed that users in countries including the UAE are being affected by what he described as unauthorized routing manipulation by the telecommunications company.
According to Durov’s statement, the disruption appears to be intentional as Reliance has reportedly ignored multiple reports about the issue. BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) hijacking is a malicious rerouting method where a network operator announces unauthorized IP address routes, effectively misdirecting internet traffic meant for specific services. The Telegram founder stated that network operators worldwide should reject unauthorized BGP announcements from Reliance (AS18101) to prevent route hijacks and maintain stable internet access.
Durov suggested the sabotage could be part of a competitive strategy, pointing out that Reliance is partially owned by Meta, the parent company of rival messaging service WhatsApp. He expressed concern that this ownership connection might be driving efforts to undermine Telegram’s operations. The accusation comes amid ongoing tensions between various messaging platforms competing for market share in India and globally.
The Telegram founder also raised suspicions about recent lobbying efforts in India aimed at banning the messaging platform. Durov stated he would not be surprised if Reliance or WhatsApp were involved in these campaigns. India represents one of the largest markets for messaging applications, with millions of active users across multiple platforms competing for dominance in the region.
The allegations highlight growing concerns about the abuse of global internet routing infrastructure for commercial or competitive purposes. BGP hijacking incidents have historically been used for various purposes including censorship, surveillance, and service disruption. Security experts have long warned about vulnerabilities in the internet’s routing system that can be exploited by network operators with malicious intent.
Durov described the situation as alarming, emphasizing the potential implications for internet stability and fair competition. He advised network operators to take preventive measures against unauthorized route announcements from the telecommunications provider. Neither Reliance nor Meta have issued public statements responding to the allegations at the time of this report.
