Telegram takes an important step to reduce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by partnering with the International Watch Foundation (IWF), four months after CSAM founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested. I am. In August, French authorities filed 12 charges against Durov, including conspiracy to “distribute, provide or make available pornographic images of minors by an organized group” and “possession of pornographic images of minors.” The prosecution was carried out.
The UK-based IWF works with social media platforms, technology companies, governments and others to prevent the spread of CSAM. Telegram is a member of the IWF, which gives it access to the group’s tools to block links to CSAM content and “non-photographic depictions” such as AI-generated images. It also provides Telegram with hashes of known CSAM content and harmful content detected by your organization. According to the IWF report, thousands of CSAMs have been observed on Telegram since 2022.
Telegram has previously refused to participate in programs that could lead to CSAM restrictions. Remi Vaughn, Telegram’s head of news and media relations, claimed in a release that the platform “removes hundreds of thousands of child abuse materials every month” through reporting and management using AI, hash matching, and more. . Bourne acknowledged that IWF’s support will enhance the company’s ability to remove CSAM before it reaches anyone.
Telegram has taken other steps since Durov’s arrest, announcing in September that it would hand over IP addresses and phone numbers in response to legal demands, something it had previously disputed. Durov must remain in France for the time being.
