Australia Sues Telegram for $54.6M Over Terror Content Removal Failures

Australian regulator files civil suit seeking $54.6M penalty, alleging systemic failure to remove terrorist content and uphold security obligations under Cyber Security Act.

Woofun AI reports that the Australian Cyber Security Commissioner has filed a civil lawsuit against Telegram in the Federal Court, alleging systemic violations of security obligations under the Cyber Security Act. The regulator claims Telegram failed to remove reported terrorist content, including execution videos accessible for up to three weeks, and known terrorism-supporting material such as the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting livestream, which remained online for nearly three months.

The agency further alleges failures to detect such content, remove relevant accounts and channels, enforce consistent terms of service, and provide feedback to reporters. Under Australian law, these breaches carry a maximum civil penalty of $54.6 million AUD. This legal action coincides with the Russian Federal Security Service charging Telegram founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism and issuing an international arrest warrant.