Australia is demanding a $38 million fine from Telegram for failing to remove extremist content

Under Australian law, online services are required to implement mechanisms to prevent the dissemination of prohibited information, including violent content and terrorist propaganda. According to the regulator, a year-long investigation uncovered a number of systemic flaws in Telegram's operations. The complaints state that the platform failed to remove publicly available videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings, despite notifications from users. In some cases, such content remained publicly accessible for up to three weeks. Furthermore, the regulator notes that the service's administration failed to remove the accounts and channels distributing this material, nor did it prevent the re-upload of known banned videos. It is alleged that such files were present on Telegram for nearly three months before their removal. The eSafety report also noted the lack of a direct ban on the distribution of terrorist content in Telegram's user agreement across all sections of the platform, as well as the failure to comply with the deadlines and procedures for informing users following the review of their complaints. Australian law provides for civil penalties for such violations, which can amount to up to AUD 54.6 million. Regulatory Director Julie Inman Grant emphasized that the availability of extremist content on major platforms contributes to its normalization and can have an impact on the radicalization of vulnerable groups. She noted that, according to intelligence, the threat of terrorist attacks in the country remains high, and the online environment is increasingly becoming a key driver of radicalization. Telegram, which has over a billion users worldwide and is widely used in Australia, must be held accountable for the content distributed through its groups and channels, which can accommodate hundreds of thousands of participants. The regulator insists that the court order the company to pay a fine, the amount of which will be determined as proportionate to the violations committed. eSafety notes that these measures are aimed at protecting all categories of citizens from dangerous content and complement the country's existing age restrictions for social media. Read also: https://www.computerra.ru/353768/durovu-pr… target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="post-link">Pavel Durov* placed on international wanted list in terrorism case . * Added to the list of terrorists and extremists by Rosfinmonitoring