Telegram’s t.me Links Go Offline After Domain Registry Places Hold on Address

Telegram’s popular t.me short-link service became inaccessible worldwide after the .ME domain registry placed the domain under a serverHold status, preventing the address from resolving through the Domain Name System (DNS).

The outage affects links used to access Telegram profiles, channels, groups, bots, and individual posts through web browsers. However, Telegram’s main messaging service remains operational, and users who are already logged into the app can continue using it normally.

WHOIS records reviewed after the outage showed that t.me was placed under serverHold while remaining registered through GoDaddy until 2035, meaning the disruption was not caused by an expired domain registration.

What serverHold Means

A serverHold status is a registry-level action that stops a domain from being published in DNS. When users attempt to open a t.me link, their devices cannot find the necessary DNS information to connect to Telegram’s short-link service.

Unlike typical website outages caused by hosting problems or server failures, a DNS-level domain hold affects users globally because the domain itself is no longer being directed to its online service.

Telegram Seeks Answers From Domain Registry

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov publicly contacted the .ME registry after users reported that t.me links had stopped working.

Durov asked the registry to investigate the issue, but neither the .ME registry, Telegram, nor registry operator Identity Digital had publicly explained why the domain was placed under serverHold.

Without an official statement, the reason behind the action remains unclear.

Possible Connection to US Sanctions Remains Unconfirmed

Some online users questioned whether the outage could be linked to a recent action by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The OFAC notice mentioned a Telegram channel address associated with a VPN service, but it referred only to a specific t.me page and not the entire t.me domain. There is currently no public evidence showing that OFAC requested or caused the registry-level domain suspension.

Experts and officials have not confirmed any connection between the sanctions announcement and the DNS outage.

Impact on Telegram Users

The shutdown of t.me disrupted one of Telegram’s main methods for sharing content outside the app, affecting links to communities, channels, bots, and user accounts.

Restoring access requires the serverHold status to be removed by the domain registry. Even after restoration, some users may experience temporary problems while DNS records update worldwide.

Until Telegram, the .ME registry, or Identity Digital provides more information, the cause of the domain suspension remains unknown.