Telegram faces Australia case over terrorism material

Australia's cyber safety watchdog took court action against Telegram on Thursday, July 30, alleging the messaging platform failed to remove terrorism material.

Under Australia's online safety law, Telegram faces a maximum penalty of up to AU$54.6 million, or $38 million.

Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the watchdog would allege Telegram failed to remove pro-terror material despite being put on notice. She said the material included videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings, including content linked to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting and the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting in New York.

"When platforms are alerted to terrorist content, they must act," Inman Grant told a press conference in Sydney.

The regulator said Telegram, which is registered in the United Arab Emirates, is visited by Australians 1.5 million times a month.

The case comes a day after Russia announced it was seeking the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, alleging complicity in terrorism. Durov, who holds French and UAE passports, was accused of allowing the platform to be used for recruitment by Ukraine's security services.