Ofcom Probes Telegram Over Child Imagery and Grooming

Britain's communications regulator, Ofcom, launched an investigation on Tuesday into the messaging app Telegram over concerns that child sexual abuse material, known as CSAM, is being shared on the platform and that it may facilitate grooming by predators. The probe, based in London, examines whether Telegram is complying with its legal duties to protect users, particularly children, from illegal content.

The investigation stems from evidence provided by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, which alleged the presence and sharing of illegal child imagery on Telegram. Ofcom conducted its own assessment before deciding to proceed, focusing on the platform's responsibility to prevent users from encountering such material and to mitigate risks of abusive behavior. Under the UK's 2023 Online Safety Act, user-to-user services like Telegram must implement systems to assess and address priority illegal content, including CSAM, terrorism-related material, and grooming activities. These duties took effect in March 2025, with non-compliance potentially leading to fines of up to 18 million pounds or 10 percent of a company's qualifying global revenue, whichever is greater. In severe...