SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s online safety regulator levied a fine on messaging platform Telegram amounting to about A$1 million ($640,000) for its failure to promptly respond to inquiries regarding the actions taken by the app to prevent the dissemination of child abuse and violent extremist content. The e-Safety Commission initiated the investigation in March 2024, directing queries to social media platforms including YouTube, X, Facebook, Telegram, and Reddit, and criticized them for inadequately addressing the issue of extremists exploiting live-streaming functionalities, algorithms, and recommendation systems for recruitment purposes.
Telegram and Reddit were specifically called upon to outline the measures they were implementing to combat the proliferation of child sexual abuse material on their respective platforms. The deadline for responses was set for May, however, Telegram only submitted its reply in October. “Timely transparency is not merely a suggestion within the Australian regulatory framework, and this enforcement action underscores the imperative for all companies to adhere to Australian laws,” remarked eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant in an official statement, stressing that Telegram’s delayed submission hindered the eSafety Commission’s efforts in implementing online safety protocols.
Notably, Australia’s intelligence agency reported in December that a significant proportion of priority counter-terrorism cases under investigation pertained to youths. Meanwhile, Telegram, under the leadership of its founder Pavel Durov, has faced escalating scrutiny globally, with Durov himself coming under formal investigation in France in August over alleged illicit activities involving the platform. Despite being released on bail, Durov has refuted the accusations.
Grant emphasized the crucial need for transparency and proactive measures by major tech companies to prevent the exploitation of their services for disseminating extremist content, which poses a mounting threat. “To hold the tech industry accountable, enhanced transparency is imperative. These enforcement powers grant us visibility into how these platforms are addressing, or failing to address, various severe and reprehensible online harms affecting Australians,” Grant asserted.
Should Telegram opt to disregard the penalty notice, the eSafety Commission would pursue civil penalties through legal channels, Grant cautioned. ($1 = 1.5625 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)
