Overview
- The Office of the eSafety Commissioner filed civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court on Thursday, July 30, 2026, after about a year of investigation into how Telegram handled user reports.
- Court documents say Australian users reported 12 posts between July and October 2025, that three posts were known terrorist content, and that regulators allege Telegram failed to remove 10 of those reports.
- The filing cites footage tied to the Christchurch mosque and Buffalo supermarket attacks and says some known attack videos remained available for weeks or months before removal.
- Telegram has rejected the allegations, said it will contest the case in court, and told reporters it blocked thousands of extremist communities in 2026 while defending its moderation practices.
- The suit arrives as Pavel Durov and Telegram face separate legal pressure from Russia and an ongoing French probe, creating overlapping cross-border scrutiny that could shape how courts and regulators enforce safety rules on encrypted platforms.