Spain temporarily shuts down Telegram after media complaints

On March 25, 2024, the Spanish National Court ordered the suspension of Telegram services, a decision that seems absolutely disproportionate to me. This draconian measure arises after complaints from several media giants such as Atresmedia, EGEDA, Mediaset, and Telefónica, who accuse the platform of facilitating piracy.

What is the result? Millions of Spanish users are left without access to an essential tool. National mobile service providers must completely block the application, affecting 19% of the population that uses it regularly.

I am especially outraged because this decision by Judge Santiago Pedraz seems more like digital censorship than a balanced measure. As Rubén Sánchez from FACUA rightly points out: “Shutting down the Internet because some websites host illegal content is like cutting all television signals because some networks engage in piracy.”

The collateral damage is enormous. It not only affects individual users but also companies, organizations, and institutions that we use Telegram legitimately to communicate and share information.

This suspension raises serious doubts about the balance between copyright protection and digital freedoms in Spain. With more than 700 million monthly active users worldwide, Telegram now finds itself at a legal crossroads as we await its official response and possible court rulings.

Personally, I believe we are facing a dangerous precedent that could extend to other digital platforms in the near future. The question is: do we really want an internet where large media can silence entire platforms?