Ofcom Investigates Chat Services for Non-Compliance with Online Safety Act
Severity: Medium (Score: 59.2)
Sources: www.ofcom.org.uk
Summary
Ofcom has launched investigations into three online chat services—Chat-Avenue.com, Teen-Chat.org, and Telegram Messenger Inc.—for potential violations of the Online Safety Act 2023. These investigations focus on the services' compliance with illegal content duties, particularly regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Chat-Avenue and Teen-Chat are under scrutiny for failing to adequately protect children from harmful content, while Telegram is being investigated for the alleged sharing of CSAM. Ofcom's enforcement program aims to ensure that user-to-user services implement effective measures to prevent the distribution of illegal content. The investigations follow a series of compliance assessments and ongoing concerns about the risk these platforms pose to UK child users. Ofcom has the authority to impose fines or seek court orders against non-compliant providers. The investigations were announced on April 21, 2026. Key Points: • Ofcom is investigating Chat-Avenue, Teen-Chat, and Telegram for compliance failures. • The focus is on protecting children from illegal content, particularly CSAM. • Non-compliance may result in fines up to £18 million or 10% of global revenue.
Key Entities
- chat-avenue.com (domain)
- ofcom.org.uk (domain)
- teen-chat.org (domain)