Encrypted messaging platform facing legal action in Russia and Australia over content moderation, and temporary blocking in India over exam-cheating concerns.
Australia’s internet regulator said on Thursday it had begun legal action against messaging platform Telegram over alleged failings to tackle pro-terror posts. …
Russian authorities have charged Pavel Durov, cofounder of the encrypted messaging platform Telegram, with “aiding terrorism” and issued an international arrest warrant for him. …
Russia has charged Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism over allegations the messenger app has been used for recruitment by Ukrainian secret services. …
… According to the FTC, these scams begin with an unexpected message on WhatsApp, Telegram, text message, or social media, offering quick money through simple online tasks such as “optimisation” or “product boosting.” Victims are directed to complete tasks through an app or online …
… Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later confirmed the strikes via a statement to Telegram, where it said two tankers had ignored warnings, turned off navigation systems and attempted to pass through a mined route. …
… It comes after a BBC Eye investigation found that Instagram has been running paid adverts promoting child sexual abuse material in India, some of which linked users to Telegram channels where the material was offered for sale. …
India has issued notices to messaging platforms Telegram and Signal over concerns that their username features could facilitate impersonation and other forms of misuse, a government source said on Friday, escalating the country’s scrutiny of user-anonymity tools on digital pl …
… The ads, seen by the BBC World Service, use terms including “rape video” and “child video” and link users to channels on the messaging app Telegram, where they can buy the material for as little as 99 rupees (about $1). …
Australia's eSafety Commissioner has begun legal action against messaging platform Telegram, alleging it failed to remove videos linked to terrorist attacks including the Christchurch and Buffalo shootings despite being notified. Civil penalties could reach A$54.6 million ($38 million) for non-compliance with Australian codes and standards.
Australia's eSafety Commissioner has begun legal action against messaging platform Telegram, alleging it failed to remove videos linked to terrorist attacks including the Christchurch and Buffalo shootings despite being notified. Civil penalties could reach A$54.6 million ($38 million) for non-compliance with Australian codes and standards.
Russian authorities have charged Pavel Durov, cofounder of the encrypted messaging platform Telegram, with "aiding terrorism" and issued an international arrest warrant, alleging his company failed to remove channels and bots used by Ukrainian special services and terrorist organisations to coordinate attacks in Russia.
Russia's FSB has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorism, alleging the messenger app was used to prepare and coordinate sabotage and terror inside Russia and failed to remove channels used by Ukraine. An international arrest warrant has been issued for Durov, who lives abroad and holds French and UAE passports.
The US Federal Trade Commission has issued a consumer alert about task scams, also known as gamified job scams, which use messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram to offer quick money through simple online tasks. Scammers display fake earnings and may pay small amounts initially to build trust, then demand cryptocurrency deposits to unlock further tasks and withdrawals—after which victims lose access to their money.
US President Trump threatened to strike Iran's bridges and power plants next week if the country does not return to talks, as the two countries exchanged fire for the fourth consecutive day. The threats, which have drawn UN condemnation as potential war crimes under international law, came as Trump reversed a threatened 20% fee on Strait of Hormuz shipping but maintained a blockade of Iranian ports.
India's government has directed Meta to immediately disable advertisements and content on Instagram promoting child sexual abuse material, following a BBC investigation that found the platform running paid adverts linking to Telegram channels offering such material. The government has demanded Meta provide an explanation within a week on how such advertisements were permitted on the platform.
India has issued notices to Telegram and Signal over concerns that their username features could facilitate impersonation and other forms of misuse, asking the platforms to explain their user-protection safeguards. The move follows a government directive to Meta's WhatsApp to halt its username feature rollout in India.
A BBC investigation found Instagram running paid adverts promoting child sexual abuse material in India, with ads using terms like "rape video" and "child video" and directing users to Telegram channels where material could be purchased for as little as 99 rupees. Meta said it had disabled several adverts, suspended accounts, and removed additional content in response to the BBC's findings.
India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has asked WhatsApp to pause its new username feature, which would let users chat using unique usernames instead of phone numbers, citing concerns it could increase online fraud and phishing scams. WhatsApp says the feature is not yet live and has built in safeguards including detection of impersonation and scams.
Millions of Indian medical students resit the NEET-UG entrance exam under unprecedented security measures after the original May 3 exam was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak. The resit took place Sunday with biometric checks, metal detectors, armoured patrols, and deployment of the Indian Air Force and paramilitary officers at exam centres nationwide.
Ghana has developed one of Africa's most open communication environments since the 1992 Constitution, with citizens and journalists engaging freely on governance and public issues. However, new challenges including political polarization, misinformation, online harassment, digital surveillance, hate speech, economic pressures on journalism, and legal contestation of public expression have emerged in the digital age.
India has temporarily blocked the Telegram app over concerns it may be used for cheating in the retaken National Eligibility cum Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG), scheduled for June 12 after the original May exam was cancelled due to allegations of a paper leak. The National Testing Agency welcomed the move, citing organised use of the platform by cheating rackets, though internet users and rights activists have criticised it as a "band-aid solution" to a larger exam fraud problem.
BBC investigation into OnlyFans managers (OFMs) finds they exploit and threaten creators after promising to boost earnings. One creator reported being threatened, attacked at home, and controlled by her agency; the BBC spoke to 60 UK creators and infiltrated a 24,000-member Telegram group of agents.
Child Rights International has endorsed a government proposal requiring age and identity verification for pornographic websites, arguing the measure is needed to protect children from harmful online sexual content that is easily accessible without meaningful restrictions.
Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George announced Ghana is moving toward mandatory identity verification for pornographic websites using National Identity Cards or driver's licenses, citing the UK's regime as a model. Experts question whether the proposal, which the minister says is heading to Cabinet, has any realistic chance of working, citing concerns about VPNs, data security, and social media workarounds.
The Czech Republic has donated specialised digital forensic equipment and software to Ghana's Police Cybercrime Unit to strengthen cybercrime investigation capacity. The handover, which took place in Accra on May 13, 2026, included MOBILedit Forensic software designed to extract and analyse data from mobile phones and smart devices, including deleted messages from messaging applications.
A marketing strategist argues that Ghanaian brands must compete on "precision relevance" rather than visibility, as high inflation, youth-dominated demographics, and 70 percent mobile internet penetration have created a "hyper-rational" consumer who compares prices online before shopping and exhibits declining brand loyalty.
Instagram has switched off end-to-end encryption on direct messages worldwide, a reversal of Meta's previous commitment to the technology. The shift means Meta can now access message content, and while child protection groups welcome the decision, privacy advocates have condemned it.