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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Rod McGuirk and Charlotte Graham-McLay

Australian watchdog files legal action against Telegram, saying it failed to remove violent content

Australia Telegram - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Australia’s online safety watchdog has filed legal action against messaging app Telegram, saying the platform failed to remove extremist content including videos of white supremacist mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and the New Zealand city of Christchurch as well as Islamic State group beheadings.

The United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday.

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