Telegram, the messaging platform used by more than 1 billion people worldwide, is facing a major legal challenge in Australia over claims that it failed to stop the spread of terrorism-linked material.

Australia's online safety regulator, the eSafety Commissioner, launched civil penalty proceedings against Telegram in the Federal Court on Thursday, according to an official statement. The authority alleged Telegram breached its obligations under the country's Online Safety Act to address "pro-terror" content by failing to act on multiple user complaints. The proceedings mark one of the most aggressive enforcement actions by the regulator since the Online Safety Act took effect in 2022, a law that positioned Australia among the first countries to establish a statutory duty for platforms to remove terrorist material upon notification.

The case adds to growing global scrutiny of Telegram's moderation practices, following legal pressure on CEO Pavel Durov in Russia and France as governments increasingly examine how major online platforms handle harmful content. The action also comes as regulators across multiple jurisdictions — including under the European Union's Digital Services Act — are tightening expectations on large platforms to demonstrably moderate illegal content, a shift that has placed Telegram's relatively hands-off approach under sustained pressure.

Australia Alleges Telegram Ignored Repeated Warnings

eSafety said its year-long investigation found that Telegram failed to remove certain unlawful material after becoming aware of it, with some reported content remaining visible for up to three weeks.

The regulator also alleged that Telegram did not take sufficient steps to prevent repeated violations, including removing accounts, channels, and groups used to distribute pro-terror material.

According to eSafety, Telegram also failed to detect known extremist content, including footage from the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings and the 2022 Buffalo mass shooting, before the material was later removed.

The regulator is seeking financial penalties, with violations of Australia's online safety rules carrying potential fines of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($35.8 million).

Telegram has not issued an official statement on the Australian proceedings, but its official X account posted a video captioned "freedom of expression." Telegram did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph's request for comment on this story.

Russia Intensifies Legal Pressure on Durov

Australia's legal action came a day after Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) charged Durov with facilitating terrorist activity and said it had begun procedures to place him on an international wanted list.

Russian authorities alleged that Telegram failed to remove channels, chats, and bots that Ukrainian intelligence services, terrorist groups, and extremist organizations used to coordinate attacks, recruit operatives, and carry out cyber fraud.

Telegram has also not issued an official statement on the latest legal developments in Russia, but posted an image of Durov making a profane hand gesture.

Durov also remains under investigation in France following his August 2024 arrest at Le Bourget Airport. French prosecutors charged him with offenses including complicity in the distribution of illegal content, including material related to organized crime, through Telegram.

Durov has previously criticized what he described as growing threats to online privacy, warning that governments were rolling back protections for the free internet.

"What was once the promise of the free exchange of information is being turned into the ultimate tool of control," he wrote in an October 2025 post on X.