Australian regulator demands social media firms disclose anti-terrorism efforts

An Australian regulator has sent legal letters to social media platforms from YouTube, X and Facebook to Telegram and Reddit, demanding they hand over information about their efforts to stamp out terrorism content.

The e-Safety Commission said it was concerned the platforms were not doing enough to stop extremists from using live-streaming features, algorithms and recommendation systems to recruit users.

Since 2022, the regulator has had the power to demand big tech firms give information about the prevalence of illegal content and their measures to prevent that content from spreading. Failure to do so can result in hefty fines.

Inman Grant said Telegram was the most used by violent extremist groups to radicalise and recruit.

The Dubai-based messaging service, which a 2022 OECD report, opens new tab ranked at No. 1 for frequency of what it described as terrorist and violent extremist content, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Read more: Reuters