AI Forensics finds a large-scale, non-consensual intimate content network on Telegram in Italy and Spain, with over 80,000 files shared across 16 channels over six weeks and about 25,000 active users in related groups and channels.

The dataset comprises more than 80,000 photos, videos, and audio clips, some involving minors and some AI-generated deepfakes.

Much of the material features women shared without consent, with AI-generated content also identified among the exchanges.

Public authorities and advocacy groups are urged to focus on platform policies, enforcement mechanisms, and potential regulatory measures to curb such harms.

The report highlights Telegram’s combination of strong end-to-end encryption and mass-dissemination capabilities as enabling factors, and recommends designating Telegram as a Very Large Online Platform under the EU Digital Services Act to strengthen oversight.

It notes Telegram’s privacy features and pseudonymous accounts alongside its reach, suggesting oversight improvements through the EU DSA for very large platforms.

The European Commission designation as a VLOP would bring stricter obligations, including algorithm transparency and risk assessments; AI Forensics also seeks explicit EU AI Act provisions to facilitate removing child sexual abuse and non-consensual imagery.

The report is based on premium AFP-derived coverage summarized from Ouest-France, illustrating ongoing investigative journalism.

Telegram’s moderation is criticized for gaps, with groups temporarily shut down only to reopen under the same names, signaling weak moderation and prompting calls for stronger reporting, policy enforcement, and treating Telegram as a VLOP under the EU DSA.

Telegram is portrayed as a redistribution hub that aggregates content from other platforms, raising questions about moderator effectiveness when groups rebound after closures.

AI-generated material is used in some cases, complicating attribution, identification, and consent issues.

AI Forensics calls for stronger controls and accountability from Telegram to curb non-consensual content distribution and protect victims.