Australia's eSafety Commissioner Fines Telegram For Late Response To Child Abuse, Terror Queries

Australia's eSafety Commissioner Fines Telegram For Late Response To Child Abuse, Terror Queries

If the online messaging platform ignores the notice, the agency will seek a civil penalty in court

Australia's eSafety Commissioner has fined Telegram A$1 million ($640,000) for the delay in responding to queries on the steps it took to prevent the spread of child abuse and violent extremist material.

In March 2024, the online safety regulator sought responses from social media platforms Telegram, YouTube, X, Facebook and Reddit, accusing them of not stopping extremists from using live-streaming features, algorithms and recommendation systems to recruit users.

Telegram and Reddit were directed to respond by May, on the measures taken to combat child sexual abuse material on their services. However, Telegram responded in October.

In a statement, Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner said, “Timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia and this action reinforces the importance of all companies complying with the law.”

She added that Telegram's delay in providing information obstructed the agency from implementing its online safety measures.

In December last, Australia's spy agency stated that one in five priority counter-terrorism cases investigated involved youth.

Worldwide, the platform has been under scrutiny. Its founder Pavel Durov was investigated in France for allegedly using the app for illegal activities.

However, Durov, out on bail, has denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner said that Big Tech must be transparent and take measures to prevent their services from being misused.

Commissioner Grant added, "If we want accountability from the tech industry, we need much greater transparency. These powers give us a look under the hood on how these platforms are dealing, or not dealing, with a range of serious and egregious online harms which affect Australians.”