Telegram sues Australia over new age-verification law

Telegram has filed a lawsuit against Australia’s eSafety regulator in the country’s Federal Court, challenging the government’s new age-verification requirements, TechRadar reports.

Earlier this year, eSafety fined Telegram 957,780 Australian dollars (about 622,000 US dollars) for allegedly failing to provide information on its policies for combating extremist content and child exploitation material within the required timeframe.

In its legal defense, Telegram argues that it is not a “provider of social-media services” under Australian law and therefore should not fall under the regulator’s authority.

The company also claims it never received the original notice, saying it was sent to the wrong address. Telegram maintains that it voluntarily submitted all requested responses as soon as it became aware of the request.

The case unfolds as Australia prepares to enforce some of the world’s strictest age-verification rules. Starting 10 December 2025, platforms including Reddit, Facebook, TikTok, and Kick will be required to block users under 16 from accessing their services.

Non-compliance could lead to fines of up to 50 million Australian dollars. Digital rights advocates warn that implementing robust age-verification systems may require collecting biometric data or government-issued identification.

Similar laws are emerging globally, triggering a surge in VPN use. In the UK, one VPN provider reported a 1400 percent spike in sign-ups following the rollout of the Online Safety Act.

VPN demand surges 1400% in the UK following new age verification law

VPN usage in the UK has surged 1400% as users try to bypass new age verification rules under the Online Safety Act.

Durov's CodeIgor Savkin