Telegram messaging app banned over security fears

JAKARTA: The government on Friday blocked access to the encrypted messaging service Telegram, citing concerns that it was being used to spread “radical and terrorist propaganda” in the country.

The move comes amid heightened concerns over the growing presence and influence of the Islamic State militant group in Southeast Asia as it loses territory in Syria and Iraq.

Indonesia has seen a resurgence in home-grown militancy, inspired in large part by IS.

A twin suicide bombing at a bus station here in May killed three police officers and injured several others.

It has stepped up anti-terrorism cooperation with Malaysia and the Philippines.

“This has to be done because there are many channels on this service that are full of radical and terrorist propaganda, hatred, ways to make bombs, how to carry out attacks, disturbing images, which are all in conflict with Indonesian law,” the Communications Ministry said in a statement on its website.

Telegram is a messaging platform known to be popular among IS sympathisers, who use chatrooms with hundreds of members as well as private conversations.

The ministry said the mobile application and the desktop version would be blocked.

It did not say if it would take similar action against other messaging platforms.

Telegram was not available for comment.

Many messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and Telegram, offer end-to-end encryption from sender to recipient, which means not even the companies providing the platform can see the messages.

Security officials in several countries have complained that the applications provide a safe space for militants to communicate with each other.

Several governments, including Australia and Britain, have urged technology companies to do more to help security agencies thwart security threats.