Telegram Partners with Internet Watch Foundation to Combat Child Abuse Content

The messaging platform adopts advanced tools to detect and block child sexual abuse material following criticism and legal pressure.

Telegram has joined the UK-based Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to strengthen its efforts against child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platform.
The partnership enables Telegram to use IWF's tools, including digital fingerprints of known abuse imagery, to proactively identify and block such content in public areas of the app.
This marks a significant shift for Telegram, which had previously resisted collaboration with child safety organizations and faced criticism for inadequate content moderation.
The decision follows the arrest of Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, in France earlier this year over allegations of complicity in illegal activities, including the spread of CSAM.
The IWF described the partnership as a 'transformational first step,' while emphasizing the need for further actions to address harmful content across all parts of the platform, including encrypted areas.