Australia’s cyber safety watchdog launched court proceedings against Telegram on Thursday, alleging the global messaging platform failed to remove terrorism related material despite being put on notice.
Under the nation’s online safety laws, the platform faces a maximum penalty of up to AU$54.6 million ($38 million), AFP reports.
The eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, said during a press conference in Sydney that the regulator would allege Telegram failed to delete pro-terror material, including videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings.
According to the Commissioner, the content included “some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history,” such as footage linked to the 2019 Christchurch Mosque shooting and the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting in New York.
“When platforms are alerted to terrorist content, they must act,” she confirmed.
The legal move comes amidst a heightened security environment in Australia following the Bondi tragedy last year, an antisemitic mass shooting at a Sydney beach that claimed 15 lives.
Telegram, which is registered in the United Arab Emirates, is a significant platform in the country, recorded as having 1.5 million monthly visits by Australians.
The Australian action follows a move by Russia on Wednesday to seek the arrest of Telegram’s 41-year-old founder and CEO, Pavel Durov. Russian authorities have alleged his “complicity in terrorism,” accusing him of allowing the platform to be used for recruitment by Ukrainian security services.
Durov, who holds both French and UAE passports, has previously lived in Dubai and France. In 2024, he was arrested by French police on charges concerning the distribution of illegal content.
Although he was initially released on bail and placed under a travel ban, he left France after authorities there lifted the restrictions.
