Australia's eSafety commissioner has launched a lawsuit against Telegram for failing to remove extremist content, with potential penalties of $38 million.
Australia's eSafety commissioner has filed a lawsuit against Telegram in the Federal Court, accusing the messaging platform of failing to remove content that promotes terrorism. The potential penalties could reach up to 54.6 million Australian dollars (approximately $38 million).
Allegations of Non-Compliance
The regulator has cited six breaches of the 2021 Online Safety Act, highlighting Telegram's negligence in addressing complaints about graphic content, including executions, which remained on the platform for weeks. The eSafety commissioner claims that Telegram did not block users disseminating harmful materials, failed to identify known extremist content, and neglected to update complainants on actions taken.
Specific incidents mentioned include footage from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2022 Buffalo supermarket attack, which Telegram reportedly removed three months after they were posted. Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety commissioner, warned that such content could encourage extremism and recruit vulnerable individuals, referencing a recent terrorist attack and assessments of rising online radicalization.
With Australians accessing Telegram around 1.5 million times monthly and public groups accommodating up to 200,000 members, the eSafety commissioner underscored the platform's significant reach without adequate restrictions on channel subscriptions.
Telegram's Response
Telegram has contested these allegations, asserting that it does not tolerate violence or terrorism on its platform. A representative indicated the company plans to challenge the lawsuit in court and noted that it had blocked over 153,000 illegal channels in 2026 alone. This lawsuit follows a previous fine of 1 million Australian dollars imposed on Telegram in February 2025 for delays in addressing extremist content.
Global Scrutiny of Telegram
Telegram's challenges extend beyond Australia. On July 29, Russia's FSB accused founder Pavel Durov of facilitating terrorism by not removing channels linked to attacks. No international arrest warrant has been issued yet, but developments are underway. Additionally, in France, an investigation into Durov has been ongoing since August 2024, while in India, the government restricted access to Telegram due to concerns over leaked exam materials.
Durov had previously been released on bail in France, describing his detention as a "legal absurdity."
