Telegram fined for failing to meet eSafety deadline
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The news: Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has fined Telegram almost $1 million for failing to meet a deadline to provide information on measures to combat child sexual abuse, terrorism and violent extremist content on its platform.
The messaging app denies the accusations and says it intends to appeal.
The context: Telegram was issued a transparency notice in March 2024, alongside Meta, Google, Reddit, X, and WhatsApp, but did not provide its response until October—160 days late.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the delay obstructed her office’s functions under the Online Safety Act.
Telegram has 28 days to pay the fine, seek an extension, or request the infringement notice be withdrawn. If it does not pay, the commissioner may take the matter to the Federal Court, eSafety said.
The $957,780 fine comes after Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested last year in France and charged with complicity in crimes committed on the platform, including enabling the distribution of child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking.
Telegram told Reuters it had responded to all of eSafety’s questions last year and that the fine is “unfair and disproportionate”.
What they said: "Timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia and this action reinforces the importance of all companies complying with Australian law," Inman Grant said.
The sources: eSafety Commissioner statement, Reuters
