Telegram is taking an important step to reduce child sexual abuse material (CSAM), partnering with the International Watch Foundation (IWF) four months after the arrest of former founder and CEO Pavel Durov. French authorities issued 12 charges against Durov in August, including participating in “distributing, providing or making available child pornography, in an organized group” and “handling child pornography.”
The UK-based IWF is working with social media, technology companies, governments and others to prevent the spread of CSAM. Telegram’s membership in the IWF gives it access to the organization’s tools that block links to CSAM content and “non-graphical displays,” including AI-generated images. It also provides Telegram with hashes of known CSAM content and any malicious content the organization finds. The IWF reports that it has received thousands of confirmed cases of CSAM on Telegram since 2022.
Telegram has previously refused to join any programs that would help limit CSAM. In a statement, Telegram’s Head of News and Media Relations Remi Vaughn said the platform “removes hundreds of thousands of child abuse materials each month” through AI reporting and moderation, hash matching and more. Although Vaughn agreed the IWF’s support would strengthen the company’s ability to eliminate CSAM before it reaches anyone.
Telegram has taken other steps since Durov’s arrest, announcing in September that it would provide IP addresses and phone numbers to law enforcement requests — something it has struggled with in the past. Durov must remain in France for the foreseeable future.
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