Australia Sues Telegram Over Extremist Content

In Melbourne, Australia, the online security regulator has filed a lawsuit against the messaging app Telegram. The agency claims Telegram failed to remove extremist content, including videos of mass shootings by white supremacists in Buffalo, New York, and Christchurch, New Zealand, as well as ISIS beheadings.

Telegram, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates with 1 billion users globally, faces a potential fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars (38 million USD) if found guilty in Australia’s Federal Court. The court case involves a ‘failure to detect and remove material promoting terrorism,’ according to eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

This civil action tests the 2021 Australian law requiring tech platforms to keep illegal and terror-related material off their networks.

Telegram has denied the accusations. ‘We reject these claims and will challenge them in court,’ a spokesperson stated in a written statement from Telegram.

The Australian regulator emphasizes the responsibility of the platform. With its substantial user base, Telegram is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps. The regulator questions the content shared in group chats of up to 200 people and channels with unlimited reach.

‘This case involves content linked to some of the most notorious acts of extremist violence in recent history, including material associated with the Christchurch and Buffalo terrorist attacks,’ Inman Grant stated in a release.

She claimed the content remained accessible long after warnings to Telegram. The crimes highlighted by Inman Grant were ideologically driven massacres intended for online audiences. Years later, digital traces of these killings continue to evade regulators, who worry about their potential to radicalize others.

An American white supremacist broadcasted parts of a supermarket shooting in Buffalo on Twitch in 2022, killing 10 Black individuals. He cited the crimes of an Australian white supremacist, who streamed live on Facebook in 2019 during the Christchurch mosque attacks that killed 51 Muslim worshippers.

Telegram channels created after these hate-driven crimes filled with users supporting the killers and sharing massacre-related content. Australia’s lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in federal court, argued Telegram’s unrestrained channel size means it must take responsibility for eliminating harmful material.

Telegram’s Stance on Terrorism

Telegram’s messaging stated its anti-terrorism efforts are extensive and well-documented, linking to published data on blocked content and channels. This year, over 150,000 ‘terrorism-related communities’ were blocked on Telegram.

Inman Grant explained that eSafety began urging Telegram to adhere to its policies in March 2024, but received no response for months. This changed after France arrested Telegram’s founder and CEO, Russian billionaire Pavel Durov, in August 2024, on charges of illegal activities, including drug trafficking and distribution of child sexual abuse images. Durov was released after four days of questioning, on a bail of 5 million euros (5.7 million USD).

‘Telegram initially became more compliant with us and other regulators after France’s action against the company,’ noted Inman Grant.

Despite this, Telegram maintained a permissive environment for terrorist content, she added. The Australian legal case also involves ISIS beheadings and other ‘appalling material used for propaganda and radicalization.’

‘When platforms are alerted to terrorist content, they must act,’ the official stressed.

The Russian Federal Security Service accused Durov of assisting alleged terrorist activities and plans to add his name to international watchlists.

In response, Telegram reiterated its commitment to user privacy and human rights, such as freedom of speech and assembly. The platform highlighted its significant role in pro-democracy movements worldwide, including those in Iran, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, and Hong Kong.

Reporting by Graham-McLay from Wellington, New Zealand.

This article was translated from English by an AP editor using an AI tool.