Australia has filed a lawsuit against Telegram over terrorist content
The Australian internet regulator has filed a lawsuit against the messaging app Telegram for failing to remove content that may promote terrorist activities. The company is accused of violating requirements related to combating harmful content online.
If found in violation, Telegram could face a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars, which is approximately 38 million U.S. dollars. The case centers on the regulator’s claims that the platform has not taken sufficient measures to block prohibited content.
The regulator claims that Telegram failed to remove videos of executions carried out by terrorists and mass shootings. Specifically, this includes material related to the terrorist attacks in Christchurch and Buffalo.
According to eSafety, between July and October 2025, Australian users reported 12 posts on Telegram containing content that supports terrorism. Three of these posts contained known terrorist material.
However, the platform did not remove 10 of these posts and did not suspend or block the accounts that published them, according to the court filing.
Telegram rejected the allegations and stated that it would contest them in court. A company spokesperson added that its efforts to combat terrorism are well documented and that the platform blocked thousands of extremist communities throughout 2026.
This was reported by Reuters, citing the Office of the Australian Commissioner for Cyber Security.
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