Aussie regulator drops 54.6M fine bomb on Telegram over "pro-terror" content 🇦🇺

Australia's online safety regulator filed civil penalty proceedings against Telegram in the Federal Court on Thursday, alleging the messaging platform breached its obligations under the country's Online Safety Act by failing to remove "pro-terror" material. The eSafety Commissioner said its year-long investigation found Telegram did not act on multiple user complaints, with some reported content remaining visible for up to three weeks after the regulator flagged it.

eSafety alleged Telegram also failed to detect known extremist content, including footage from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting, before that material was later removed. The regulator said Telegram did not take sufficient steps to prevent repeated violations, including removing accounts, channels and groups used to distribute pro-terror material.

The case is seeking financial penalties, with violations of Australia's online safety rules carrying potential fines of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($35.8 million). Telegram, which is used by more than 1 billion people worldwide, has not issued an official statement on the Australian proceedings, though its official X account posted a video captioned "freedom of expression."

The Australian action came a day after Russia's Federal Security Service charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity and said it had begun procedures to place him on an international wanted list. Russian authorities alleged Telegram failed to remove channels, chats and bots that Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist groups and extremist organizations used to coordinate attacks, recruit operatives and carry out cyber fraud. Telegram posted an image of Durov making a profane hand gesture in response.

Durov also remains under investigation in France following his August 2024 arrest at Le Bourget Airport, where French prosecutors charged him with offenses including complicity in the distribution of illegal content related to organized crime through Telegram. Durov has previously criticized what he described as growing threats to online privacy.