Telegram Faces Legal Action in Australia Following Russia’s Pavel Durov Charges

Australia’s regulator filed legal action against encrypted messaging platform Telegram over alleged failures to remove pro-terror content. This comes a day after Russia charged the company’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, with facilitating terrorist activity.

Australia’s eSafety Commission Begins Legal Action Against Telegram

Australia’s eSafety Commission commenced civil penalty proceedings in federal court against Telegram for alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material. The action follows a year-long investigation amid growing terrorist executions and mass shootings videos on the platform.

The internet regulator claimed Telegram failed to comply with systemic safety obligations under the Online Safety Act’s Relevant Electronic Services Standard. The regulator had taken action to prevent unlawful material such as child sexual exploitation and abuse, pro-terror material, and extreme crime and violence.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant said the legal action was filed against Telegram for failing to remove “pro-terror” material under the Online Safety Act. The platform faces a maximum fine of A$54.6 million ($38 million).

Inman-Grant said Telegram left content “linked to some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history” online after being notified, including video of the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting and the May 2022 Buffalo shooting.

Rising Global Pressure amid Russia’s Charges Against Pavel Durov

Telegram is facing intensifying global pressure over content moderation. However, the company remains committed to its privacy policies and refuses to grant backdoor access. Recently, Pavel Durov revealed major Telegram network updates and a drop in transaction fees to almost zero.

As CoinGape reported earlier, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities. The security agency also issued an international arrest warrant against Durov, placing him on an international wanted list.

French authorities had also investigated Pavel Durov over allegations that Telegram failed to counter criminal activity and unlawful content on the platform.  The prosecutors raised concerns that Telegram ​did not cooperate enough with ​law enforcement requests.

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