- Australia‘s eSafety Commissioner launched civil penalty proceedings against Telegram for failing to remove terrorism-linked material, seeking fines up to $35.8 million.
- The regulator alleged Telegram left extremist content visible for up to three weeks and failed to act on repeated user complaints.
- Russia‘s FSB separately charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity, adding to his ongoing legal scrutiny in France.
Australia’s online safety regulator filed civil penalty proceedings against Telegram on Thursday, accusing the messaging platform of failing to remove terrorism-related content despite repeated user complaints. The eSafety Commissioner alleged the company breached its obligations under the Online Safety Act by leaving some reported material visible for up to three weeks, according to an official statement.
The regulator also claimed Telegram did not take sufficient steps to prevent repeated violations, including removing accounts and channels used to distribute pro-terror material. Violations carry potential fines of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($35.8 million).
Meanwhile, Russia intensified legal pressure on CEO Pavel Durov, with the Federal Security Service charging him with facilitating terrorist activity and beginning procedures to place him on an international wanted list. Telegram posted a video captioned “freedom of expression” in response to the Australian proceedings, and shared an image of Durov making a profane hand gesture after the Russian charges emerged. Durov remains under investigation in France following his August 2024 arrest, facing charges including complicity in distributing illegal content through Telegram.
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