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Australia sues Telegram over alleged failures to remove terror content
The eSafety Commissioner says a year-long investigation found Telegram could not reliably remove unlawful pro-terror material, with some items reportedly staying visible for up to three weeks.
Australia has launched civil penalty proceedings against Telegram in the Federal Court over alleged failures to remove terrorism-linked content, according to Cointelegraph.
The eSafety Commissioner, Australia’s online safety regulator, said it believes Telegram breached obligations under the country’s Online Safety Act after the platform allegedly failed to act on multiple user complaints about pro-terror material.
eSafety said its investigation found some reported unlawful content remained visible for up to three weeks even after the regulator said Telegram became aware of it, and it alleged the company did not take sufficient steps to prevent repeat violations involving accounts, channels and groups distributing pro-terror material.
The regulator also alleged Telegram failed to detect known extremist material, including footage from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting, before later removals, and it is seeking financial penalties of up to A$54.6 million, about $35.8 million.