Australia’s eSafety commissioner is taking direct legal action against Telegram, seeking fines of up to A$54.6 million for the platform’s repeated failure to remove pro-terrorist material.
Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant stated that the platform has allowed content linked to notorious extremist violence—including footage of the Christchurch and Buffalo shootings—to remain accessible despite being put on notice. The government alleges that Telegram has maintained a 'permissive environment' that radicalizes users and is even used to plan attacks.
This legal challenge follows a pattern of global scrutiny regarding the app, with founder Pavel Durov already facing investigations in France and Russia over the platform's moderation failures.
While Telegram claims its anti-terrorism efforts are 'well documented' and intends to contest the allegations in court, Australian officials have signaled that they are prepared to seek a total shutdown of the service if it refuses to comply with the law.
This move comes after a previous A$1 million fine in February 2025 for the platform's lack of cooperation regarding child abuse and extremist content. The message from Canberra is clear: no digital platform is above the law when it comes to the safety of the public.
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