A Spanish judge has ordered the online messaging service Telegram suspended in a case brought by broadcasters alleging violation of intellectual property, a ruling criticized by one consumer group. Judge Santiago Pedraz of the Audencia Nacional, a senior court that handles sensitive cases, ordered a 'temporary suspension' of Telegram's resources. The order was issued on Friday but at midday on Saturday the platform was still up and running in Spain.
Consumer rights group Facua criticised the ruling as disproportionate, warning it would cause 'enormous damage' to millions of users of the platform. 'It is as if they shut down the internet because there are websites that illegally host content protected by copyright,' said Facua's general secretary Ruben Sanchez in a statement. Telegram is an encrypted messaging platform that also allows users to set up their own channels to broadcast content