After Years of Pushback, Telegram Commits to CSAM Crackdown

After years of rejecting appeals to join child protection initiatives, Telegram has finally committed to working with an internationally recognized organization to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), a key partner for major online platforms in detecting, removing, and preventing the spread of CSAM, had faced persistent resistance from Telegram in the past.

This shift comes four months after Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, was arrested in Paris over allegations of the platform’s failure to address extreme content. In a significant policy reversal, Telegram has announced its collaboration with the IWF.

While the IWF called Telegram’s decision “transformational,” it emphasised that this is only the first step in what will be a “much longer journey” for the platform.

Telegram, which serves approximately 950 million users globally, has long prioritised user privacy over adhering to the policy frameworks embraced by other major social media companies.

A report by Decode also shed light on the platform’s darker side, revealing that Instagram accounts featuring sexualised images of Indian children often direct users to Telegram channels where CSAM is sold, with prices ranging from Rs 40 to Rs 5,000.