Telegram reverses stance and partners with child safety organization

After years of resistance to international child protection initiatives, the messaging platform Telegram has made a significant policy shift by agreeing to work with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) to combat the dissemination of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This dramatic change comes in the wake of heightened scrutiny following the arrest of Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, in Paris due to allegations that the app failed to adequately moderate extreme content, including drug trafficking and CSAM. The IWF characterized this decision as transformational, while acknowledging that it marks just the beginning of a longer journey toward responsible digital practices for the app. Telegram, which boasts a user base of approximately 950 million individuals globally, has often prioritized user privacy over compliance with conventional social media norms. Prior reports by media outlets, including the BBC, have highlighted the use of the app by criminals for various illicit activities. Experts have referred to Telegram as resembling "the dark web in your pocket," underscoring concerns about its potential for facilitating illegal conduct. In the aftermath of Durov's arrest, which has raised questions about his leadership and the platform's operational compliance, the company has announced several reforms aimed at improving content moderation. Among these measures, Telegram committed to disclosing the IP addresses and phone numbers of users who violate its terms to law enforcement upon receiving legitimate legal requests. Additionally, the platform has disabled certain features that were exploited by bots and scammers, while also pledging to publish regular transparency reports detailing content removal statistics and moderative actions. By aligning itself with the IWF, Telegram can access advanced tools and resources to enhance its capacity to detect and eliminate CSAM. Previously, the platform claimed to have independently removed hundreds of thousands of pieces of abusive content each month. As the IWF is recognized as a legally sanctioned entity capable of identifying and eradicating child sexual content online, this partnership poises Telegram for a deeper commitment to combatting such online threats. The development represents a potential turning point for a service that has often faced allegations of neglecting its responsibility to safeguard its user base, particularly vulnerable children, and indicates a shift toward increased accountability in the digital space.