Belgian watchdog checking Telegram for EU anti-terror compliance 

Published connected 02/06/2025 - 15:29 GMT+2•Updated 15:38

Messaging app Telegram is being scrutinised by nan Belgian telecoms regulator to cheque whether nan level complies pinch EU rules combating violent contented online. 

The Belgian Institute of Post and Telecommunications (BIPT) said successful its annual reportpublished past week that it received notification of 454 cross-border injunctions past year, each related to contented provided done nan hosting services of Telegram.

“Given nan ample number of Telegram users and nan number of injunctions issued against Telegram, BIPT conducted an in-depth investigation into Telegram's compliance pinch nan obligations of nan Terrorist Content Online (TCO) Regulation successful 2024,” nan study said, adding that nan regulator will proceed this workout successful 2025 and widen its power to nan different hosting work providers that autumn nether its jurisdiction.

BIPT plans to designate hosting work providers arsenic "exposed to violent contented online" this year, nan study said. 

Telegram is established arsenic a institution successful nan British Virgin Islands but has group up its ineligible typical for nan EU successful Brussels, meaning that BIPT oversees nan platform’s compliance. 

The TCO rules entered into unit successful June 2022 and oblige Hosting Service Providers to region violent contented online wrong 1 hr aft receiving a removal bid from a personnel state's nationalist authority. 

In lawsuit of non-compliance, BIPT could enforce a financial punishment amounting to 4% of nan provider's worldwide turnover.

Telegram has been banned by respective governments worldwide, pursuing cases of spreading disinformation and enabling extremism. In nan UK for example, nan app was utilized to scheme and coordinate anti-immigrant riots past August.

Last year, its co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov was detained adjacent Paris complete an investigation into alleged offences related to nan messaging app, specified arsenic organised crime and supplier trafficking.  

BIPT is besides overseeing Telegram’s compliance pinch nan EU’s online level rules, nan Digital Services Act (DSA). 

Telegram claimsit has 41 cardinal monthly mean users successful nan EU, which is beneath nan period of 45 cardinal per period required to beryllium qualified arsenic a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) and beryllium checked by nan European Commission.

BIPT said it received immoderate 10 complaints related to imaginable breaches of nan DSA, “the mostly concerned Telegram.” It worked together pinch authorities successful nan Netherlands and Estonia to resoluteness nan issues, nan study said.