Telegram has finally agreed to work with an internally recognized organization to stop child sexual abuse material appearing on the platform.
The announcement comes after years of pressure on the Russian-owned company and is being praised as a step in the right direction but with much work still to do.
The controversial social media platform – which has end-to-end encrypted messaging – has always set itself apart as it claims to put user privacy first and foremost. This led to accusations that it had become a safe haven for criminals and it irked the authorities leading ultimately to the arrest of its founder, Pavel Durov, in France.
What Has Telegram Signed Up To?
Telegram has agreed to work with The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). This organization will help Telegram spot abuse material and swiftly remove it to stop its spread. In a statement, IWF explains that this will include access to its “hashes”, which it describes as “unique digital fingerprints of millions of known child sexual abuse images and videos” which means that when this content is shared, it can be spotted immediately.
The IWF explains that it will report directly into Telegram when this content is found. It also has tools to find and block “non-photographic” depictions of child sexual abuse, including AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery.
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“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, Interim CEO at the IWF.
Why Had Telegram Not Engaged Before?
Telegram had always insisted that it had its own measures in place to find and remove this material. As its users grew to around 950 million people worldwide, however, so did concern. Telegram remained unmoved. It told BBC News in August that its moderation is “within industry standards and constantly improving”.
But it stood apart as other social media platforms, including Snap, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and OnlyFans, had all signed up to IWF and also to National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Telegram continued to insist it didn’t need to and also ignoring pleas to engage from the TakeItDown programme that works to remove so-called revenge porn.
It has also never published a report on how much of this child abuse content it has found, tracked and taken down – again setting it apart from other social media platforms with more proactive and transparent policies.
Arrest of Telegram Founder
The company’s globetrotting, Russian-born founder, Durov, is currently being held in France. He was personally arrested – much to his anger – because authorities got fed up with the platform’s lack of moderation.
Durov was charged by the French judiciary for alleged complicity in allowing criminal activity on the platform. This, they claimed, included the production and dissemination of child sexual abuse images, drug trafficking, and fraudulent activity. He has been barred from leaving the country.
While Durov is claiming that his arrest is unjustified, it does seems to have resulted in some changes for the platform including more interaction with authorities. The company has agreed to share the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate its rules with police after valid legal processes have been followed. Durov has also declared that he wants to “turn moderation on Telegram from an area of criticism into one of praise”.
