Australia’s online safety watchdog has taken legal action against the messaging app Telegram for not removing extremist content, including videos of mass shootings and Islamic State beheadings. Telegram, based in the United Arab Emirates and with 1 billion users globally, could face a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars if found guilty. The case tests Australia’s 2021 law requiring tech platforms to eliminate illegal and pro-terrorism content. Telegram denies the allegations and plans to contest them in court. The Australian regulator is concerned about content shared in group chats and channels, which can reach unlimited audiences. The watchdog claims that Telegram failed to remove content related to the Christchurch and Buffalo terror attacks, which could potentially radicalize others. Despite Telegram’s assertion of its anti-terrorism efforts, the Australian authority argues the platform has been unresponsive to compliance requests.
QUESTION: How might the responsibility of tech platforms to monitor and remove harmful content impact the way we use social media in the future?
Telegram ‘failed to remove violent content,’ says watchdog, seeks legal action
