eSafety

Australia's eSafety watchdog has initiated legal proceedings against the messaging platform Telegram for allegedly failing to adequately remove extremist content, including footage related to mass shootings in Buffalo and Christchurch, as well as material linked to the Islamic State. The platform, with a user base of approximately 1 billion, could face fines of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars (around 38 million USD) if found guilty. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasized that the content in question is tied to severe acts of extremist violence and remained accessible despite Telegram being notified of its existence. Following recent tragedies, Telegram channels have surfaced that celebrate attackers and circulate videos of their acts. Telegram has denied the allegations, claiming to block terrorist-related content and reporting the removal of over 150,000 terrorist-related communities this year. However, Inman Grant raised concerns about the platform's compliance and responsiveness to regulatory actions.