Telegram Ban in India Sparks Massive Rush to VPNs and Rival Messaging Apps

By Decode Today News

Telegram ban in India sparks a rush to VPNs, rival apps Business

India's temporary restriction on the popular messaging platform Telegram, implemented over concerns of exam-related fraud, has immediately triggered an unprecedented surge in the download of virtual private network (VPN) services and alternative messaging applications across the country. The move highlights a growing global trend where internet restrictions, regardless of their intent, often lead users to quickly seek tools for circumvention and digital alternatives. The government's decision to cut off access to Telegram for a week, effective until June 22, was a direct response to reports of fraudsters leveraging the platform to target candidates ahead of a crucial re-test for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Undergraduate) – India's largest entrance examination by applicant volume. Officials stated the measure was necessary to curb the spread of fake exam papers and associated scams. While Telegram challenged the order in the Delhi High Court, arguing for targeted content moderation over a platform-wide ban affecting its reported 150 million users in India, the court upheld the restriction on Friday, finding that authorities had followed the prescribed emergency procedure.

VPN Downloads Skyrocket in Response

The immediate aftermath of the Telegram restriction on Tuesday saw a dramatic shift in user behavior, particularly in the realm of VPN applications. App intelligence firm Appfigures reported a remarkable spike, indicating that Tuesday marked the biggest day for VPN app downloads in India since at least the start of 2025. Downloads of major VPN apps collectively rose by an astonishing 49% from a recent daily average of 139,000 to 208,000. Several leading VPN providers experienced significant individual surges. Proton VPN saw its downloads on Apple's App Store in India jump by 113%, while its Google Play downloads climbed by 64%. Turbo VPN also recorded substantial increases, with downloads rising 85% on the App Store and 35% on Google Play. Other prominent services were not far behind; NordVPN's App Store downloads increased by 41%, and ExpressVPN downloads on Google Play rose by 31%. This demand pushed several VPN services significantly up India's app-store charts. Proton VPN, for instance, ascended from 18th to 5th in Apple's Utilities rankings between June 16 and June 18, and its Google Play ranking moved from 8th to 2nd in the Tools category, according to Appfigures data. Beyond app store figures, VPN companies themselves reported direct impacts. Proton confirmed that daily registrations from India soared 120% above baseline levels on Wednesday, building on an hourly spike of 150% observed on Tuesday evening following the Telegram restriction. The company described this increase as "extremely noteworthy" given its substantial existing presence in the country. Canadian VPN service provider Windscribe echoed this trend, reporting that sign-ups from India peaked approximately 100% above baseline levels, with first-time downloads of its iOS app in the country rising about 89%. Rebecca Rosenberg, growth operations manager at Windscribe, noted that "The spike in India follows the same general trend we see in areas that ban specific apps, introduce age bans or verification requirements, or otherwise restrict internet access." Surfshark also reported a roughly 30% increase in connectivity from India since the announcement. The trend was pervasive across the industry, not limited to just a few providers. Sensor Tower indicated that downloads across the entire VPN app category in India rose 10% day-over-day on June 17, reversing a decline seen over the preceding two weeks. Laura Tyrylyte, a privacy advocate at NordVPN, observed, "Spikes in demand for VPNs tend to follow any kind of platform restriction, regardless of the reason behind it. When access to a tool people rely on is suddenly removed, they look for alternatives fast." Tyrylyte further suggested that the response to Telegram’s restriction in India indicates users are becoming increasingly familiar with circumvention tools and are reacting more swiftly to online restrictions than in the past.

Alternative Messaging Apps See a Boost

The shift in user behavior was not solely directed towards VPNs. Many users also began exploring alternative messaging apps as substitutes for Telegram. Signal, a privacy-focused messaging app, experienced a significant jump in downloads, rising 72% on Apple’s App Store and a staggering 322% on Google Play following the restriction. Viber, another messaging platform, saw its App Store downloads increase by 216%. Perhaps one of the most striking surges was observed by iMe, a messaging app often linked to Telegram. Its Google Play downloads rocketed from a recent daily average of around 827 to an astounding 50,900 on June 16, according to Appfigures. This data underscores a rapid user pivot to maintain communication channels in the face of platform restrictions.

The Paradox of Telegram Usage

Interestingly, the restriction did not immediately translate into a decline in Telegram usage. Sensor Tower reported a paradoxical increase in Telegram’s daily active users (DAU) in India, which rose 17% on the day the measure was announced. This marked the app’s largest day-over-day increase in the country since a widespread outage of Meta’s services in 2021. Other data points also suggest heightened user efforts to access Telegram despite the ban. Cloudflare Radar Lead Lai Yi Ohlsen observed a sharp increase in DNS requests for Telegram domains in India over the two days following the measure’s announcement. While higher DNS traffic does not guarantee successful access, it could reflect users repeatedly attempting to reach Telegram after it was blocked, demonstrating their determination to stay connected to the platform. During the Delhi High Court hearings, Telegram’s lawyers emphasized the company’s efforts to cooperate with authorities, stating they had removed channels identified by the government. They questioned the necessity of a platform-wide restriction impacting millions of users. In response, government lawyers, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, defended the measure as a temporary, event-linked response specifically tied to the NEET re-test. Mehta acknowledged that a permanent ban might raise proportionality concerns but argued the current restriction had a "logical nexus" to the objective of preventing exam fraud.

The Broader Implications of Digital Restrictions

The situation in India is far from an isolated incident. According to Surfshark’s Internet Shutdown Tracker, Telegram is currently blocked in 13 countries and has faced disruptions in at least 40 others over the years. Such restrictions have consistently been followed by a surge in demand for circumvention tools. For example, Sensor Tower noted that VPN downloads in the U.S. rose more than 40% week-over-week when TikTok was briefly removed from U.S. app stores in 2025. Windscribe has also observed similar patterns following restrictions in countries like Iran and Russia. This ongoing global dynamic underscores a significant challenge for governments attempting to control digital information flow. While restrictions may be imposed with specific objectives, such as preventing fraud or maintaining public order, they often inadvertently educate users on how to bypass controls, leading to a broader adoption of privacy and circumvention technologies. The rapid user response in India illustrates an increasingly tech-savvy population that is quick to adapt to online restrictions, seeking out alternatives or tools to maintain their digital access and communications. This persistent tug-of-war between digital control and user autonomy continues to shape the global internet landscape, making every restriction a test of resilience and innovation for users worldwide.

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Telegram Ban in India Sparks Massive Rush to VPNs and Rival Messaging Apps