Media: Telegram has repeatedly refused to join child protection programs

The management of the Telegram messenger refuses to join international programs aimed at detecting and removing materials containing violence against children from the Internet. This was reported by the BBC without citing a source.

The publication claims that Telegram does not cooperate with either the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or its British counterpart, the Internet Watch Foundation. Both organizations are engaged in finding and removing illegal content involving children.

The BBC claims that, unlike all other social media platforms, Telegram is not registered with programs such as NCMEC's ​​CyberTipline, which has over 1,600 internet companies. The publication notes that US-based companies are required by law to register with the program, but 16% of participating companies are based outside the country.

The vast majority of reports of child sexual abuse content, the BBC highlights, came from tech giants and social media platforms, including Facebook, Google, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat and WhatsApp.

The publication claims that NCMEC and IWF repeatedly approached Telegram management with a request to join the fight against materials containing scenes of sexualized violence against children, but the company ignored this.

“Despite attempts to actively engage with Telegram over the past year, they are not members of the IWF and do not use any of our services to block, prevent or suppress the dissemination of child sexual abuse images,” an IWF spokesperson said.

Following Pavel Durov's arrest , Telegram said the platform complies with EU laws and its moderation system meets industry standards and is constantly being improved. "It is absurd to claim that the platform or its owner are responsible for the abuse of this platform," the messenger said in a statement.

To get the main news faster, subscribe to our telegram and twitter .