Australia sues Telegram over alleged terror content failures
Australia sues Telegram over alleged failures to remove terror-linked content after the eSafety Commissioner opened Federal Court civil penalty proceedings. The regulator claims Telegram breached Online Safety Act duties by not acting on complaints, leaving some reported material visible for up to three weeks, and is seeking major financial penalties.
Key Takeaways
- Australia's eSafety Commissioner filed civil penalty proceedings against Telegram in the Federal Court on Thursday.
- eSafety alleges Telegram failed to act on multiple user complaints about “pro-terror” content under the Online Safety Act.
- Some reported unlawful material allegedly remained visible for up to three weeks, eSafety said after a year-long investigation.
- Potential fines for online safety breaches can reach A$54.6 million (about $35.8 million).
- Telegram had not issued an official statement on the Australian case at the time of reporting.
What is Australia accusing Telegram of?
According to Cointelegraph, the eSafety Commissioner alleges Telegram breached obligations under Australia's Online Safety Act to address “pro-terror” content. The authority says the platform failed to act on multiple user complaints.
eSafety's year-long investigation found Telegram allegedly failed to remove certain unlawful material after becoming aware of it. The regulator also claims Telegram did not take sufficient steps to prevent repeated violations, including removing accounts, channels and groups used to distribute pro-terror material.
eSafety further alleged Telegram failed to detect known extremist content, including footage from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting, before that material was later removed.
Why does the Australia Telegram case matter for platforms?
Telegram is used by more than 1 billion people worldwide, so a Federal Court action over moderation failures would be a high-profile test of Australia's online safety rules. The regulator is seeking financial penalties; violations can carry fines of up to A$54.6 million ($35.8 million).
For readers following Fintech & Crypto Alerts, the case also sits against wider pressure on Telegram's leadership and content policies in other jurisdictions.
How has Telegram and its CEO responded so far?
Telegram has not issued an official statement on the Australian proceedings. Its official X account posted a video captioned “freedom of expression,” and Telegram did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph's request for comment.
Australia's action came a day after Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Telegram CEO Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity and said it had begun procedures to place him on an international wanted list. Durov also remains under investigation in France after his August 2024 arrest, with charges including complicity in distributing illegal content through Telegram.
Durov has previously warned that governments were rolling back protections for the free internet, writing in an October 2025 post on X that the free exchange of information was being turned into “the ultimate tool of control.”