---
title: "Australia fines Telegram for delay in answering child abuse, terror questions"
description: "SYDNEY, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Australia's online safety regulator on Monday fined messaging platform Telegram about A$1 million ($640,000) for its delay in answering questions about measures the app took to prevent the spread of child abuse and violent extremist material."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-02-24-australia-fines-telegram-for-delay-in-answering-child-abuse-terror-questions/"
published: "2025-02-24T04:39:32"
updated: "2025-02-24T04:39:33"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 340
---

# Australia fines Telegram for delay in answering child abuse, terror questions

> SYDNEY, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Australia's online safety regulator on Monday fined messaging platform Telegram about A$1 million ($640,000) for its delay in answering questions about measures the app took to prevent the spread of child abuse and violent extremist material.

By Reuters · Published 24 February 2025, 06:39 SAST · Updated 24 February 2025, 06:39 SAST

## Key points
- In a classic case of tech titans dodging accountability, Australia's eSafety Commissioner is calling out Telegram and Reddit for their sluggish responses to extremist content concerns, while Telegram insists it’s all just a misunderstanding—because who doesn’t love a good game of bureaucratic tug-of-war?
- Australia's eSafety Commission criticizes social media platforms, including Telegram and Reddit, for inadequate measures against extremist content and child abuse material.
- Telegram's delayed response to eSafety's inquiries has hindered the implementation of online safety measures, prompting potential legal action.
- eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant emphasizes the need for greater transparency and accountability from tech companies to combat online harms.
- Telegram plans to appeal the penalty, asserting it has addressed all eSafety's questions and disputes the fairness of the imposed timeframe.

## Content

By Renju Jose

The eSafety Commission in March 2024 [sought responses](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N3FW0AW&linkedFromStory=true) from social media platforms YouTube GOOGL.O, X and Facebook META.O to Telegram and Reddit, and blamed them for not doing enough to stop extremists from using live-streaming features, algorithms and recommendation systems to recruit users.

Telegram and Reddit were asked about the steps they were taking to combat child sexual abuse material on their services. They had to respond by May but Telegram submitted its response in October.

"Timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia and this action reinforces the importance of all companies complying with Australian law," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said in a statement.

Telegram's delay in providing information obstructed eSafety from implementing its online safety measures, Grant said.

Telegram said it had fully responded to all of eSafety's questions last year, with no outstanding issues.

"The unfair and disproportionate penalty concerns only the response time frame, and we intend to appeal," the company said in an email.

Australia's spy agency in December said one in five priority counter-terrorism cases [investigated](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL3N3N60AP&linkedFromStory=true) involved youths.

The messaging platform has been under growing scrutiny around the world since its founder Pavel Durov was placed under [formal investigation](https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N3KE08A&linkedFromStory=true) in France in August in connection with alleged use of the app for illegal activities.

Durov, who is out on bail, has denied the allegations.

Grant said Big Tech must be transparent and put in place measures to prevent their services from being misused as the threat posed by online extremist materials poses a growing risk.

"If we want accountability from the tech industry we need much greater transparency. These powers give us a look under the hood at just how these platforms are dealing, or not dealing, with a range of serious and egregious online harms which affect Australians," Grant said.

If Telegram chooses to ignore the penalty notice, eSafety would seek a civil penalty in court, Grant said.

($1 = 1.5625 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry and Diane Craft)