PHAfter proposal to block Signal, DICT floats Telegram ban
DICT considers banning Telegram amid concerns over îllégâl activities, following a similar proposal for Signal
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) via an interview on DZRH, Tuesday, February 24, floated the idea of banning the encrypted messaging app Telegram.
This comes on the heels of a proposal to ban another messaging app Signal earlier this month.
DICT Secretary Henry Aguda said the agency is studying a potential ban over the alleged proliferation of pornography, and îllégâl ******** operations conducted via the app. He also said that they have encountered difficulties communicating with Telegram to coordinate regarding these issues.
Less than two weeks ago, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) also raised the possibility of banning a similar app Signal, citing concerns of “spoofing,” specifically high-ranking government officials, You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
CICC head Renato Paraiso was quoted by the site as saying that spoofed messages on the app could be made to look like “someone is transacting with government officials regarding the flood control *******” which could then be used to frame them.
Several IT rights groups such as You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., the Computer Professionals’ Union, and Data and Ethics PH, pushed back against the proposal, saying it would impinge upon people’s right to communicate in private.
Signal is also known as a tool used by journalists to communicate securely with sources, similar to how Telegram is also used.
You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now. reported in 2021 the value of the app for dissidents, or in places where there is a crackdown on free speech:
“Telegram, and other encrypted messaging services, are crucial for those intending to organize protests in countries where there is a severe crackdown on free speech. Myanmar, Belarus and Hong Kong have all seen people relying on the services.
“It also means that news sites who have had their websites blocked, such as in the case of news website Tut.by in Belarus, or broadcaster Mizzima in Myanmar, have a safe and secure platform to broadcast from, should they so choose.”
One way that Signal differs from Telegram is that the former only has end-to-end encryption. Messages can only be read by the devices participating in a chat.
Telegram, by default, uses cloud-based encryption, meaning messages stored on Telegram’s server can be decrypted even without the actual device used to communicate. Theoretically, a state can force Telegram to access messages.
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