Telegram sued in Australia for allegedly failing to remove terror content

The eSafety Commissioner has taken the messaging service to Federal Court, alleging that Telegram let videos of mass shootings and terrorist executions stay online after being alerted. The case arrives as Russia moves to place founder Pavel Durov on an international wanted list, meaning the platform faces legal battles on two continents at once.

Australia’s move matters because the Online Safety Act empowers regulators to levy civil penalties of up to AU$54.6 million if a service breaches its safety standards. The maximum fine, equivalent to roughly AU$54.6 million under the law, would be a rare hit to a global tech firm and could set a precedent for how “extremist” material is policed on encrypted platforms.

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Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, told a press conference in Sydney that the regulator would allege “content linked to some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history” remained accessible on Telegram long after the company was put on notice. The material includes footage of the 2019 Christchurch mosque livestream and the 2022 Buffalo mass‑shooting video.

According to court filings reviewed by the regulator, Australian users reported twelve posts containing pro‑terror material between July and October 2025. Of those, three posts featured well‑known terrorist videos, while Telegram allegedly failed to remove ten posts or suspend the accounts that posted them.

Telegram, registered in the United Arab Emirates, says it will “vigorously contest” the proceedings. A company spokesperson highlighted that thousands of extremist communities were blocked during 2026 and that the platform’s anti‑terrorism efforts are “well documented.” The firm also notes that it serves more than one billion monthly active users worldwide and is visited by Australians about 1.5 million times a month.

The Australian case dovetails with a separate legal onslaught in Russia. The Federal Security Service announced it had charged Durov with “facilitating terrorist activity” after accusing Ukrainian intelligence of using a Telegram chatbot to recruit young Russians for sabotage. Russian authorities said the chatbot, originally a dating service called Daivinchik/Leo, was weaponised to lure users aged 12 to 22 into attacks on infrastructure. The FSB claimed that 46 Russians had been arrested over the past year for crimes linked to the platform.

In response, Telegram’s official X account posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture. The founder, who holds French and UAE passports and lives in Dubai, has denied any wrongdoing. He has previously said the platform exceeds its legal obligations to moderate harmful content and cooperate with law enforcement.

Russia’s move to put Durov on an international wanted list overlaps with ongoing investigations in France, where he was arrested in 2024 over alleged failures to combat illegal content. He was released on bail and later allowed to leave the country. For a full read on the French proceedings, see the Newsarchy UK piece on Pavel Durov charged by Russia with aiding terrorism.

Australia’s regulator anchored its concerns in a broader security context. Inman Grant referenced last year’s antisemitic mass shooting at a Sydney beach that left 15 dead, describing the current environment as “heightened.” Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director General Mike Burgess has warned that online radicalisation now plays a larger role in investigations, noting that strangers online often replace real‑world acquaintances in the radicalisation process.

“Instead of being radicalised by associates in the real world, individuals are often being radicalised by strangers online. This should concern all of us. We’re talking about the most seriously harmful online material and Australian law requires services across the online ecosystem to take responsibility for the role they play in allowing this material to be disseminated, including by enforcing their own terms of service.”

Mike Burgess, ASIO Director General, via AdNews

Both Australia and Russia invoke the same core allegation: that Telegram failed to act after being alerted to extremist content. Yet the legal standards differ. Australia relies on the Online Safety Act’s Relevant Electronic Services Standard, which obliges platforms to remove “terrorist material” promptly. Russia’s charge hinges on national security statutes that claim the platform enabled recruitment for sabotage.

Below is a concise timeline of the most recent developments.

• July 30 2026 – Australia’s eSafety Commissioner files civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court.
• 2025 (July‑October) – Australian users report twelve posts containing pro‑terror material.
• 2024 – French police arrest Durov on allegations of failing to combat illegal content; he is later released on bail.
• 2022 – The Buffalo mass‑shooting occurs; its footage later cited in the Australian case.
• 2019 – Christchurch mosque shooting livestream becomes part of the alleged illegal content.

• The Russian FSB has said Durov will be placed on an international wanted list, but the exact mechanism remains unclear, and Interpol has not confirmed a Red Notice.

The convergence of legal pressure in Australia, Russia, and France underscores a growing global scrutiny of how encrypted platforms moderate extremist material.

For readers following the broader story of Telegram’s founder, see the Newsarchy UK coverage on Pavel Durov placed on a Russian wanted list. The outcome of the Australian case could shape not only the company’s compliance strategy but also set a benchmark for how other messaging services respond to government notices about extremist content.