Telegram Joins Child Safety Scheme Days After Australia Passes Social Media Ban

The social media craze hasn’t spared anyone.

Users of all ages are hooked onto platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram and others.

One of the prime reasons for this is that these platforms can be used for a wide range of purposes, from education to entertainment, from communication to isolated rejuvenation.

While they are widely enjoyable, recent years have brought up concerns about their addictive nature, especially for young minds.

Some of the content can be absolutely senseless, which has even led to the coining of Brain Rot, a word that was named Oxford Word of the Year 2024 by the Oxford University Press.

To save you the trouble, it’s defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration.”

It’s no wonder that governments are taking strong steps to curb the deterioration of young minds. Most notably the recently proposed social media ban for users under the age of 16, by the Australian government, a bill that has now been passed.

While the bill won’t come into effect for around another year, it’s expected to impact platforms such as TikTok, X, Instagram, Reddit, and Facebook. Of course, the government considered that some platforms are used for educational purposes as well, which is why YouTube is believed to be exempted.

Suffice it to say, the companies behind these platforms aren’t happy with the move, with some saying it’s a rushed move that didn’t consider young people’s thoughts on it. Another cause for concern for them is that they would have to ensure users under the age limit aren’t permitted to use their platforms, failing which could attract fines of up to AU$50 million ($32 million).

While both sides have valid points, social media also plays a part in a much darker scenario—the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

For years lesser regulated platforms such as Telegram have been used to share such content, and for years Telegram has resisted the inclusion of external moderators and international programs aimed at detecting such content.

However, this has finally changed.


As per a news release published by UK’s Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), an internationally recognized child safety organization that’s on a mission to eliminate child sexual abuse from the internet, Telegram has for the first time partnered with an organization to moderate and remove such content.

This will include using tools from the IWF to detect, disrupt, remove, and block child sexual abuse imagery.

Since 2022, the IWF has confirmed thousands of reports of child sexual abuse imagery on Telegram, which also included imagery involving children younger than two years old. Upon being reported, Telegram promptly removed the content.

Telegram will also deploy tools to block “non-photographic” depictions of child sexual abuse, including where AI has been used.

Furthermore, Telegram will reveal the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate the rules, in addition to being handed over to legal authorities. It will also disable features such as “people nearby”, while also publishing regular transparency reports.

The move comes four months after the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov in Paris over child sexual content, fraud, and drug trafficking. Since then, Durov has been released on bail.

As such, Durov aims to “turn moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise.”

“Now, by joining the IWF, Telegram can begin deploying our world-leading tools to help make sure this material cannot be shared on the service,” said Derek Ray-Hill, the Interim CEO at the IWF. “It is an important moment, and we will be working hard with Telegram to make sure this commitment continues and expands to the whole sector.”

“Telegram removes hundreds of thousands of child abuse materials each month, relying on reports and proactive moderation which includes AI, machine learning and hash-matching,” said Remi Vaughn Head of Press and Media Relations at Telegram.

“The IWF’s datasets and tools will strengthen the mechanisms Telegram has in place to protect its public platform – and further ensure that Telegram can continue to effectively delete child abuse materials before they can reach any users.”

Do you think this move will help curb the spread of child abuse imagery and videos? Do you think such a move should be made mandatory for all social networking platforms?

Let us know in the comments below!