Telegram Hit with A$1 Million Fine for Delaying Child Abuse, Terrorism Queries

Australia's online safety regulator has fined Telegram approximately A$1 million ($640,000) for delaying its responses to questions regarding child abuse and terrorism prevention measures, Reuters reports.

The eSafety Commission issued requests for information to several social media platforms, including YouTube, X, Facebook, Telegram, and Reddit, in March 2024, expressing concern over the insufficient efforts to prevent extremists from exploiting live-streaming, algorithms, and recommendation systems for recruitment purposes.

Telegram and Reddit were specifically queried about their steps to combat child sexual abuse material. While the deadline for responses was May, Telegram only submitted its answers in October.

"Timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia and this action reinforces the importance of all companies complying with Australian law," stated eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant in a statement. Grant added that Telegram's delay hampered eSafety's ability to implement its online safety measures.

Telegram, however, maintains that it fully addressed all of eSafety's inquiries last year, asserting that there are no outstanding issues. The company expressed concern over the "unfair and disproportionate penalty" focusing solely on the response timeframe and has announced its intention to appeal the decision.

Australia's spy agency revealed in December that one in five priority counter-terrorism cases involved youths. Telegram, a popular messaging platform, has faced increasing scrutiny globally since its founder, Pavel Durov, was formally investigated in France in August for alleged misuse of the app for illegal activities. Durov, currently out on bail, has denied these allegations.

Grant emphasized the need for transparency and proactive measures from Big Tech companies to prevent the misuse of their services, citing the growing threat posed by online extremist materials.

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

If Telegram chooses to ignore the penalty notice, eSafety will pursue a civil penalty in court.