The regulator claims the service is ignoring the country's laws, citing the messenger's lack of action in deleting terrorist propaganda materials. The government doesn't intend to ban Telegram yet, although it has the power to do so.
The Australian government's demands stem from user reports claiming that videos are being spread on Telegram featuring the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand in 2019 and shootings in a US supermarket in 2022.
"We have alleged that Telegram has failed to detect, deter and disrupt pro-terror material", eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant said.
The court case is the result of a year-long investigation. eSafety claims that it attempted to engage with Telegram, but the messenger did not act or answer government requests for five months. Australian law does not require a license to operate in the country, but the regulator may ask the court to ban it.
"We've never used those powers, and we'll see how this all plays out and whether that kind of action is warranted", Ms Inman Grant said.
Telegram's representatives state that “extensive anti-terrorism efforts are well documented”, and its published records claim thousands of “terrorist communities” were removed. The spokesperson added that the company will contest the allegations in court.
More Context
• In November 2025 Telegram initiated a legal battle with eSafety over the “Online Safety Act 2021”, deeming it illegal.
• In February 2025, the Australian regulator fined Telegram over $600,000 for delaying the provision of information on its measures to combat terrorism and materials related to child exploitation.
• The company asserts that once it became aware of the request, it voluntarily provided the required information. The @tginfo team previously analyzed the details of that response, which reveals a lot of details about how Telegram's moderation works.
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