Indian Court Orders Star Health to Collaborate with Telegram on Data Breach Investigation

An important legal development has occurred involving Star Health, a prominent insurer in India. The company has been instructed by an Indian court to assist Telegram in pinpointing data that has been compromised through its messaging platform. This guidance appears aimed at facilitating the removal of bots implicated in the incident.

Star Health, which boasts a market capitalization of around $4 billion, sought intervention from the Madras High Court following reports that a hacker had exposed sensitive customer information on Telegram, including details related to medical claims and taxes. The court's directive came after Star Health requested immediate action from Telegram to eliminate chatbots associated with the data breach.

During the court proceedings, Justice K Kumaresh Babu urged Star Health to provide relevant details to assist Telegram in addressing the issue, citing the app's challenges in locating the leaked information independently. Telegram's legal representative communicated the need for specific identification from the insurer to proceed with the deletions.

Previously, Telegram stated that it took action to remove chatbots once the data leak was brought to its attention but made it clear that cooperation from Star Health is essential for further steps. Star Health is currently under pressure due to a ransom request amounting to $68,000 and is conducting its inquiry into allegations of involvement from its chief security officer, who has stated that no evidence of misconduct has been found thus far.

This data breach includes highly sensitive personal information, as highlighted by Star Health's legal counsel during the hearings. The case is scheduled to reconvene in two weeks for further proceedings.