Australia Sues Telegram Over Failure to Remove Extremist Content
Australia’s eSafety commissioner announced the country’s legal action against Telegram after finding the messaging app has not removed extremist material, including a video from the Christchurch mosque attacks.
The regulator saidTelegram could face a fine of up to A$54.6 million under the Online Safety Act if the fine is assessed, and the platform has also faced scrutiny from Russia and France over allegations of extremist recruitment.
Julie Inman‑Grant, who led Australia’s first social‑media ban for under‑16s, said the platform had left extremist content online far longer than notice warranted. She described the platform as maintaining a “permissive environment” that made extremist material easy to find and even used for planning attacks.
The regulator began questioning Telegram in March 2024 and experienced five months of unresponsiveness before the platform began negotiating. Even after engagement, she noted, extremist content remained accessible, including videos of the Christchurch and Buffalo shootings, and other terrorist executions.
Telegram has denied having insufficient moderation, and its founder Pavel Durov has denied it failed to cooperate with law enforcement. The eSafety regulator issued a separate A$1 million fine in February 2025 for slower responses to child‑abuse and extremist material queries.
In light of Australia’s recent mass‑shooting tragedy at a Jewish festival in Bondi, the eSafety commissioner emphasised the importance of digital platforms meeting their duties to protect communities. While Australia has not yet issued licences for platforms like Telegram, it may legally order the service to cease operations if warranted.
The lawsuit follows worldwide moves to clamp down on extremist content, underscoring the emerging regulatory challenge for global messaging platforms operating across jurisdictions.
