Australia begins legal action against Telegram over alleged pro-terror m…

Australia launches court action against Telegram over extremist posts

Australia initiated legal proceedings against messaging platform Telegram, according to announcements on Thursday, July 30, 2026. The Office of the eSafety Commissioner stated that the action stems from the platform's alleged failure to remove videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings.

ESafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant stated in a statement: "This case concerns content linked to some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history, including material associated with the Christchurch and Buffalo terror attacks."

"We allege that this content remained accessible on the service long after Telegram had been put on notice."

Julie Inman Grant, eSafety Commissioner

In a court filing, eSafety said Australian Telegram users reported complaining to the platform about seeing 12 posts containing pro-terror content from July to October 2025, including three which contained known terrorist content. According to the regulator, the platform failed to take down 10 of the posts or suspend or block the accounts that posted the material.

Failure to comply with Australia's codes and standards could result in civil penalties of up to A$54.6 million ($38 million), the statement said.

A spokesperson for Telegram responded to the request for comment by stating: "We reject these allegations and will contest them in court." The representative added that Telegram's anti-terrorism efforts are well-documented, with thousands of extremist communities blocked by the platform in 2026 alone.

Russia charges founder Pavel Durov as international pressure mounts

The legal move by Australian authorities coincides with mounting pressure on Telegram. On Wednesday, Russia charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activity, alleging that the app was being used by Ukrainian spies to organise attacks inside Russia.

According to statements from the FSB and Russia's Investigative Committee, Ukrainian intelligence allegedly used a Telegram chatbot called Daivinchik/Leo to recruit young Russians for sabotage and terrorist attacks. The chatbot was allegedly exploited by operatives posing as young women to contact, manipulate, and recruit users before coercing them into carrying out attacks.

Russian authorities claimed that 46 Russians aged between 12 and 22 were arrested over the past year after allegedly being recruited through the platform to attack law enforcement officers or target transport, energy, communications, and financial infrastructure. The FSB said Durov would be placed on an international wanted list.

In response to requests for comment or related developments, Telegram's official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture with his middle finger.

Telegram is one of the world's most downloaded apps, with over 1 billion monthly active users, according to the company. Its founder, Russian-born Pavel Durov, left Russia in 2014, moving himself and the company to Dubai in 2017. He also holds Emirati and French citizenship.

Durov remains under investigation in France, having been arrested there in 2024 over allegations that Telegram failed to adequately combat criminal activity and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement requests. French authorities later allowed him to leave the country while the investigation continues.

Russia has significantly restricted access to Telegram, and many Russians now require a VPN to access the service. However, official Russian institutions, including the Kremlin and the Ministry of Defence, continue using Telegram daily to publish updates. The platform has also become a critical source of information on Russia's war in Ukraine and is used widely by officials in Moscow and Kyiv.