Telegram is facing a fresh legal fight in Australia, just one day after Russian authorities charged the messaging app's founder, Pavel Durov, with allegedly aiding terrorism. Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant, initiated proceedings against the platform on July 30, 2026, alleging Telegram failed to remove terror-related material from its service, a violation that could carry a fine of up to $38 million under the country's Online Safety Act.
The Australian regulator pointed to specific content it says remained accessible on the platform, including video from the March 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting that killed 51 people, and material connected to the Buffalo, New York terror attack. “This case concerns content linked to some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history,” Inman-Grant said.
Telegram Pushes Back
A Telegram spokesperson disputed the allegations and said the company “will contest them in court.” The spokesperson added that the platform blocked “thousands of extremist communities” in 2026 alone, framing the Australian case as out of step with the company's broader moderation efforts.
A Second Front With Russia
The Australian action follows directly on the heels of a separate, more severe legal threat. On July 29, 2026, Russian authorities announced charges against Durov personally, accusing him of aiding terrorism through the platform's use by parties tied to the conflict in Ukraine. Durov, who holds dual UAE-France citizenship and resides in Dubai, was previously arrested in France in 2024 over allegations that he failed to adequately moderate criminal activity on Telegram.
Related: Australia Sues Telegram Over Alleged Failure to Remove Terror Content
Taken together, the two cases — one civil and financial in Australia, one criminal and personal in Russia — put Telegram and its founder under simultaneous legal pressure from governments on opposite sides of major geopolitical divides, each citing the platform's handling of extremist and terror-linked content as the core issue.
What Comes Next
Telegram has signaled it intends to fight the Australian case in court rather than settle, setting up a proceeding that will test how far the Online Safety Act's content-moderation requirements can reach against an offshore platform. Neither Telegram nor Durov has indicated how the company plans to respond to the Russian charges.
