The messaging platform Telegram on Friday told an Indian court it cannot monitor all the accounts it hosts to look for leaked customer data from India’s Star Health, and will only block problematic content that is flagged to it.

India’s biggest health insurer has been battling a reputational and business crisis since Reuters reported on Sept. 20 that a hacker had used Telegram chatbots and a website to leak sensitive customer data including biometric identification cards and medical claim papers.

Last month, Star Health approached the Madras High Court seeking intervention to direct Telegram to remove all bots linked to the data leak.

But a lawyer representing Telegram said during Friday’s hearing that it would be in violation of Indian laws if it were to police all chatbots on the platform to identify leaked data.

Telegram did, however, agree to delete the data if it received help from the insurer, which has received a ransom demand of $68,000 from a hacker to stop the leaks.

Star Health shares have lost almost 11% since the story was published, and were down just over 1% on Friday.

Telegram has been under growing scrutiny around the world since its founder Pavel Durov was placed under formal investigation in France on Aug. 28 in connection with alleged use of the app for illegal activities.

Durov and Telegram have denied any wrongdoing and said they are tackling the criticism.

Madras High Court Judge Kumaresh Babu on Friday asked the insurer to share information on problematic chatbots with Telegram, and directed the social media app to block those immediately.

Telegram and Star Health did not respond to requests for comment about the hearing.

Star Health is also investigating allegations that its chief security officer was involved in the data leak, and has said he is cooperating in the probe, which has so far turned up no evidence of wrongdoing by him.

The executive has not commented on the allegations.

The case resumes in two weeks.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

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