Telegram is the most-used app for terror radicalisation: Australia

Australia's e-Safety Commission is pressuring major tech platforms, including YouTube, X, Facebook, Reddit, and Telegram, to address concerns regarding the proliferation of terrorism content. Commissioner Julie Inman Grant highlighted Telegram as a key platform for extremist recruitment

Australia's e-Safety Commission has intensified its scrutiny of major tech platforms, seeking clarification on their efforts to combat terrorism content amidst growing concerns. According to a report by Reuters, the commission has dispatched letters to prominent platforms including YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Reddit, and Telegram.

The commission, empowered to levy fines for non-compliance, is particularly alarmed by the potential exploitation of these platforms by extremists for recruitment purposes, especially through live-streaming and recommendation systems.

Commissioner Julie Inman Grant highlighted Telegram as a prime conduit for violent extremist groups to radicalize and recruit, expressing uncertainty regarding the platforms' capabilities to effectively address the issue. Grant emphasized the commission's resolve to utilize punitive measures if necessary, underscoring their determination to ensure compliance.

Grant singled out YouTube for its algorithmic capacity to disseminate propaganda, citing concerns about content ranging from responses to global conflicts to misogynistic rhetoric inciting real-world violence against women.

Telegram, notorious for its popularity among extremist circles, remains a focal point of the commission's inquiries, with doubts lingering over the platform's capacity to confront the issue adequately.

This initiative represents the e-Safety Commission's most intricate content moderation endeavour to date, surpassing previous investigations into child exploitation material and hate speech.

The intensified scrutiny follows Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) facing penalties for mishandling child abuse content in 2023, with ongoing legal contests. Notably, Telegram and Reddit have been contacted for the first time in this round of inquiries.

The association of Reddit with radicalization was underscored by a white supremacist who attributed his violent actions in Buffalo, New York, to the platform. Immediate responses from Reddit, X, YouTube, and Meta (Facebook's parent company) were unavailable. However, Meta reiterated its commitment to eradicating terrorism and hate content from its platforms.