Australia’s online safety watchdog has launched court action against the messaging platform Telegram over its alleged failure to remove videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings for weeks after Australian citizens reported them, according to local media on Thursday.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the civil proceedings followed a year-long investigation into whether Telegram met its obligations under the Online Safety Act, with breaches carrying penalties of up to $38 million, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The regulator alleges that Telegram failed to remove reported pro-terror material for as long as three weeks, did not shut down the accounts, channels and groups distributing it, and did not detect known material including the livestreamed 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand and the 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.
That content remained on the platform for nearly three months before it was removed, according to eSafety.
The regulator also charged that Telegram’s terms of service did not prohibit pro-terror material across all parts of the platform and that complainants were never told the outcome of their reports.
"This should concern all of us. We're talking about the most seriously harmful online material and Australian law requires services across the online ecosystem to take responsibility for the role they play in allowing this material to be disseminated," Grant said.
Minister for Communications Anika Wells said Australia has no tolerance for technology companies that fail to prevent, detect and remove pro-terror material.
Telegram has been facing global criticism due to alleged weak content moderation.
Founder Pavel Durov is currently under criminal indictment in France for alleged complicity in child pornography and drug trafficking, while Russia placed him on an international wanted list on July 29 and restricted the app nationwide over allegedly aiding terrorist activities.
Additionally, India recently temporarily blocked the app following a massive national exam fraud scandal it said was coordinated through private Telegram channels.
