Encrypted messaging platform facing legal action in Russia and Australia over content moderation, and temporary blocking in India over exam-cheating concerns.
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
… Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp have fundamentally transformed civic participation. …
Free Speech development in Ghana today and its implications for media developmentJoy Online
India has temporarily blocked the Telegram app over concerns it may be used for cheating, days before a crucial medical entrance exam is set to be reheld. …
India temporarily bans Telegram over exam paper leak concernsJoy Online
… We heard from 60 UK OnlyFans creators and embedded ourselves in one of the largest private Telegram groups for agents, called OFM Empire, which has 24,000 members. …
OnlyFans ‘agents’ control and threaten creators while taking half their earnings, BBC findsDaily Guide
… Beyond dedicated adult websites, CRI expressed concern about the growing circulation of sexually explicit material on social media and messaging platforms, including Telegram and Snapchat. …
CRI Backs ID Checks For Porn SitesJoy Online
… Much of it is now on the social media platforms,” he said. “Every day on Telegram, people are sharing nudes. …
VPNs, Social media and data risks: why experts say Ghana’s porn age verification won’t workJoy Online
… The software is also capable of analysing data from applications such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram, recovering certain deleted files, generating forensic reports and processing backups from Android and iPhone devices. …
Czech-donated tool enables Ghana Police to recover deleted messages, trace digital evidenceBusiness & Financial Times
… Winning play: Deploy localized influencer clusters across key cities (Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi) Build owned communities (WhatsApp groups, Telegram channels) around product usage and lifestyle Retail media & first-party data: The new competitive edge Retailers now sit on the most v …
Winning the battle for attention, affordability & advocacyJoy Online
… E2EE is the default on Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages Telegram offers it as an option, but not by default X, formerly Twitter, offers an similar system for direct messages, though critics say it does not meet industry standards Snapchat …
Instagram privacy tech is turned off today- what does this mean for your DMs?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.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
30 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
30 July 2026 · The Chronicle →
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.
29 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
19 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
15 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
6 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
3 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
3 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
2 July 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
21 June 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
16 June 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
15 June 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
8 June 2026 · Daily Guide →
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.
6 June 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
16 May 2026 · Joy Online →
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.
15 May 2026 · Business & Financial Times →
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.
8 May 2026 · Joy Online →