Ofcom launches probe into Telegram over child safety failures
The UK’s communications regulator has launched a probe into Telegram after evidence emerged that child sexual abuse material was being shared on the platform.
Ofcom announced on Tuesday that it has also opened investigations into teen chat sites Teen Chat and Chat Avenue, assessing whether the platforms are meeting their legal duties to protect children from grooming.
The watchdog said that following engagement with all three companies, it remained unsatisfied that adequate protections were in place for British children.
“These firms must do more to protect children, or face serious consequences under the Online Safety Act”, said Suzanne Cater, Ofcom’s director of enforcement.
Online Safety Act crackdown
The probe comes as the public sector doubles down on its broader push on online safety across the UK, with Keir Starmer summoning senior executives from Snap, TikTok and Meta to Downing Street last week, warning that “looking the other way is not an option”.
Meanwhile, ministers are weighing a range of measures, including a ban on social media for under-16s, app curfews and restrictions on algorithm-driven feeds, sitting alongside a public consultation that has drawn more than 45,000 responses.
The Online Safety Act, which came into force last year, gives Ofcom the power to fine companies up to £18m, or 10 per cent of their global turnover.
The regulator has issued nearly £3m in fines to tech companies so far, though much of that sum remains unpaid.
However, the limits of that enforcement power were evident last month, when the US-based firm 4chan responded to a £520,000 fine with an AI-generated cartoon and a statement from its lawyer arguing that the platform operates legally under US law and is not obliged to comply with British regulation.
4Chan has not paid previous fines and indicated it does not intend to pay this one.
Elsewhere, ministers are already looking to extend the Online Safety Act to cover AI chatbots following concerns over harmful content, as the line between user-generated and AI-generated material becomes harder to define.