Telegram has taken an important step against child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and decided to cooperate with the International Monitoring Foundation (IWF). This development comes just four months after the platform’s founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France in August. Durov was accused by the French authorities of distributing, making available and possessing pornographic images of minors.
UK-based IWF supports social media platforms and technology companies in preventing the spread of child abuse material. Telegram’s cooperation with this foundation is considered a sign that the platform will take more concrete steps regarding user security. Thanks to IWF’s tools, Telegram will have access to an advanced technology infrastructure to detect CSAM content and prevent its spread.
Telegram’s new security moves
As part of this collaboration, Telegram will gain access to IWF’s database of CSAM content and the hashing technology used to identify malicious content. IWF plays an important role in detecting images depicting child abuse, especially those produced by artificial intelligence. It is stated that by using these tools, Telegram aims to remove CSAM content before it reaches users.
Telegram’s Head of Press and Media Relations, Remi Vaughn, emphasized that the platform removes hundreds of thousands of child abuse materials every month, thanks to artificial intelligence and user reports. However, he acknowledged that this process would become more effective with the support of IWF. Vaughn stated that this new step will strengthen Telegram’s responsibilities regarding child safety.
This step by Telegram is seen as a remarkable change after its refusal to participate in such programs in the past. On the other hand, according to IWF’s reports, there have been thousands of CSAM cases confirmed on Telegram since 2022, making it clear that more efforts need to be made in this regard.
The arrest of Pavel Durov also marks the beginning of changes in Telegram’s privacy policies. While the company had previously strongly opposed sharing user data, it announced in September that it would begin handing over IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities in line with legal requests. This step heralded a radical change in Telegram’s long-held “absolute privacy” approach.
It is reported that Durov should continue to stay in France. This could pave the way for a possible leadership change or long-term strategy changes in Telegram’s management. How Telegram will balance its policies of adhering to user privacy and freedom of expression with child safety will become clearer in the future.
Ultimately, Telegram’s cooperation with IWF stands out as an important step in the fight against CSAM content. However, how effective these steps will be and how they will affect the user experience will be better evaluated over time.