Australia’s eSafety Commission has slapped messaging service Telegram with a fine of approximately A$1 million (around $640,000) for its tardy response regarding measures to curb harmful online content, as per media reports.
The commission had reached out to major platforms—including YouTube, X Facebook, Telegram, and Reddit—in March 2024, demanding details on their efforts to combat the spread of child abuse material and violent extremist content.
While all platforms were expected to respond by May, Telegram delayed its submission until October, a lapse that hindered the regulator’s ability to enforce critical online safety measures.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant was unambiguous in her remarks, “Timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia and this action reinforces the importance of all companies complying with Australian law,” she said in a statement.
Telegram maintains that it answered all of eSafety’s queries last year and insists that the penalty, based solely on response timing, is both unfair and disproportionate.
Earlier investigations in France have linked the platform to alleged illegal activities, with its founder Pavel Durov currently under formal investigation, though he denies any wrongdoing.
Further compounding the issue, Australia’s intelligence agency recently reported that youths are involved in one in five priority counter-terrorism cases, underscoring the urgent need for robust measures against online extremist recruitment.
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