Australia Sues Telegram Over Terrorism Content, Threatens IDR 688 Billion Fine

Australia’s online safety regulator has officially taken legal action against the instant messaging platform Telegram. The lawsuit alleges the platform failed to promptly detect and remove content promoting terrorism.

The office of the Australian eSafety Commissioner stated that Telegram allowed dangerous material, including videos of executions by terrorist groups, to remain available on the platform for up to three weeks after users reported it. Telegram is also deemed to have failed to remove the accounts responsible for spreading such material.

In its lawsuit documents, the regulator accused the encrypted messaging app of failing to act against the widespread dissemination of highly sensitive terrorism propaganda material. The material included a video of the mosque shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, as well as the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, in 2022.

According to the eSafety office’s findings, the brutal content remained accessible on Telegram for nearly three months before the platform finally removed it.

Telegram faces civil penalties of up to A$54.6 million, or around Rp688.5 billion, for allegedly breaching Australia’s Online Safety Act.

In response to the lawsuit, local media reports said Telegram dismissed all the accusations brought by the Australian regulator. The company, founded by Pavel Durov, stated it was prepared to fight the case in court.

The case adds to a growing list of global pressure on Telegram over its content moderation policies, particularly regarding extremist material and public safety in the digital sphere.