Apr 09, 2026 16:00:00

A survey suggests that approximately 25,000 Telegram users are involved in sharing images of child sexual abuse and trading spyware.

Telegram is a messaging app that boasts high anonymity and security, but it has been pointed out that it is being used for crimes such as trading child sexual abuse images (CSAM) and

doxing , which exposes personal information. AI Forensics , a research group that investigates digital rights violations, analyzed 16 Telegram groups and channels with users in Italy and Spain and found that approximately 25,000 users were involved in obtaining, distributing, and monetizing CSAM and sexually explicit images of women.

Researchers unmask trade in nude images on Telegram - The Economic Times
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/researchers-unmask-trade-in-nude-images-on-telegram/articleshow/130113351.cms

Researchers unmask trade in nude images on Telegram
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260408-researchers-unmask-trade-in-nude-images-on-telegram

24,000+ Telegram Users Are Buying Hacking Tools to Spy on Intimate Partners - Gadget Review
https://www.gadgetreview.com/24000-telegram-users-are-buying-hacking-tools-to-spy-on-intimate-partners

AI Forensics investigated 2.8 million messages exchanged across 16 Telegram groups and channels, as well as a total of over 80,000 shared files, between December 2025 and February 2026.

The results showed that approximately 25,000 users were participating in sharing sexual content related to CSAM, incest, rape, and other sexually explicit material. About 75% of the shared files were photos, 25% were video files, and about 1% were audio recordings. It was found that the content included not only genuine photos and videos but also AI-generated deepfakes.

Some users, primarily young men, were selling this sexual content using Telegram's features. Monetization was done through content subscriptions costing 20-50 euros (approximately 3700-9300 yen) per piece, or through a monthly subscription of 5 euros (approximately 930 yen).

Many of the images shared on Telegram were extracted from other platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. AI Forensics points out that 'while social media platforms and other messaging apps act as sources of material, Telegram appears to be functioning as a hub for organizing, amplifying, and distributing abusive content.'

Furthermore, more than 18,000 posts were about surveillance tools targeting wives, girlfriends, friends, and others. One post advertised a hacking service that offered 'access to phone books,' 'intrusion into social media,' and 'automated spy bots.'

AI Forensics has criticized Telegram for failing to prevent these groups from continuing to operate on the platform. AI Forensics states, 'During the observation period, several groups were shut down by Telegram, yet reopened under the same names just hours later, suggesting that Telegram's moderation mechanisms are inadequate.'

AI Forensics has called on the EU to classify Telegram as a 'very large platform' and to monitor it more closely under the Digital Services Act (DSA) .