Australia's eSafety Commission fined messaging platform Telegram about A$1 million for its delay in providing information on measures to prevent child abuse and violent extremist content, the regulator announced on Monday.
Australia’s online safety regulator has imposed a fine of around A$1 million ($640,000) on messaging platform Telegram over delays in responding to questions about steps taken to prevent the spread of child abuse material and violent extremist content.
In March 2024, the eSafety Commission requested information from social media platforms, including YouTube, X, Facebook, Telegram, and Reddit, regarding efforts to curb extremism and child abuse content on their platforms. While other platforms complied by May, Telegram did not respond until October.
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant stressed the importance of timely transparency, stating, "Timely transparency is not a voluntary requirement in Australia." She noted that Telegram’s delay obstructed eSafety’s efforts to enforce online safety measures.
Telegram defended itself, stating it had fully responded to eSafety’s questions last year and that the penalty was “unfair and disproportionate,” focusing only on the timing of the response. The company intends to appeal.
The messaging platform faces increasing scrutiny worldwide, with its founder Pavel Durov under investigation in France over alleged illegal activities facilitated by the app. Durov, currently out on bail, has denied the allegations.
Grant emphasised that greater transparency is needed from Big Tech to prevent platforms from being misused for extremist or harmful purposes. If Telegram ignores the penalty notice, eSafety may pursue a civil penalty in court.
The Australian government continues to pressure technology companies to implement stronger safety measures, citing growing risks from online extremist content, particularly involving young people.
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies...
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada, ending the co-host's historic run in the tourna...
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev a...
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported...
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s P...
President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Morocco booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory over Canada, ending the co-host's historic run in the tournament.
Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev and Japarov had ruled the Central Asian nation in tandem since 2020, until the former was unexpectedly ousted in February.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
European carmakers have urged the European Union to make sure new “Made in EU” rules do not put existing investments in Türkiye and Morocco at risk.
Microsoft is expected to announce a new round of job cuts as early as next week as the technology giant looks to reduce costs, according to reports.
A Swedish court has ordered Alphabet-owned Google to pay about $1.5 billion in antitrust damages to price comparison platform PriceRunner, in one of Europe's largest competition-related awards against a major technology company.
U.S. President Donald Trump earned more than $1bn from cryptocurrency-related business ventures last year, according to his mandatory 2025 financial disclosure.
Rocket Lab has agreed to acquire Iridium Communications in an $8 billion deal, giving the space company a global satellite communications network and accelerating its expansion beyond launch services. The acquisition marks a major step in its ambition to become a fully integrated space business.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment