In a significant ruling, the Madras High Court has instructed Telegram to remove and block channels and chatbots that are impersonating the popular digital payment platform, PhonePe. The decision follows a lawsuit filed by PhonePe, which accused the platform of facilitating fraudulent activities by redirecting payments intended for the company to scammers.
In an interim order issued on October 30, Justice K. Kumaresh Babu emphasized the need for Telegram to take swift action against these deceptive channels. The court also instructed PhonePe to notify Telegram about any instances of infringement or spoofing, including providing URLs for Telegram to promptly block the offending posts.
PhonePe’s legal team highlighted that these fraudulent channels were leading users to make payments under the false belief that they were engaging with the legitimate PhonePe service. This not only resulted in financial losses for the users but also tarnished the company’s reputation.
Telegram’s defense argued that while the platform cannot actively monitor and block such impersonations in real time, it would take down the channels and chatbots once informed by PhonePe or other users.
The court accepted Telegram’s stance and ruled that the company must act upon complaints promptly. This marks a step forward in addressing the rising concern of digital fraud on messaging platforms.
