Telegram Restores Message Editing Feature in India After NEET Restriction Ends

Telegram has restored its message editing feature for users in India after the temporary ban imposed during the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG re-examination was lifted on June 30.

The capacity to edit messages after they were sent out had been disabled during the re-examination, in efforts to prevent the platform from being exploited and to curb the dissemination of false information.

The restriction was announced on June 16 at the behest of the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the original NEET-UG examination was marred by a paper leak controversy.

Even though Telegram services were back up on June 22, a day after the re-examination, the platform had to keep the message editing feature disabled until the end of June.

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Temporary Curbs:

Authorities argued that the feature could be misused to alter previously sent messages and falsely claim that leaked question papers had been shared before the examination. The temporary restriction was intended to prevent manipulation of older messages and curb the spread of misinformation related to the exam.

With the restriction period now over, Telegram users across India can once again edit messages in individual and group chats.

The temporary curbs had also received judicial backing. On June 23, the Delhi High Court upheld the Centre's decision to restrict Telegram's editing feature ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, observing that the measure was reasonable in the interest of protecting the integrity of the examination process.

The court noted that Telegram's ability to rapidly distribute large volumes of content could potentially be misused to circulate leaked examination material or false information.Authorities argued that the feature could be misused to alter previously sent messages and falsely claim that leaked question papers had been shared before the examination. The temporary restriction was intended to prevent manipulation of older messages and curb the spread of misinformation related to the exam.

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With the restriction period now over, Telegram users across India can once again edit messages in individual and group chats.

The temporary curbs had also received judicial backing. On June 23, the Delhi High Court upheld the Centre's decision to restrict Telegram's editing feature ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination, observing that the measure was reasonable in the interest of protecting the integrity of the examination process.

The court noted that Telegram's ability to rapidly distribute large volumes of content could potentially be misused to circulate leaked examination material or false information.

During the proceedings, the High Court also referred to Section 69A of the Information Technology Act that empowers the Centre to block online content under specific conditions.

The Centre told the court that the Telegram was allegedly used to spread fake examination-related material, fake question papers and other illegal content in connection with the NEET-UG examination. It also said the platform’s cloud-based architecture enabled the storage and sharing of that content at large scale.