The federal government has imposed counter-terrorism sanctions on Telegram-based white supremacist network Terrorgram.
It is the first time the government has done so to an online-only entity.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced on Monday that the sanctions would be placed on Terrorgram, a decentralised network of encrypted Telegram channels and accounts focused on white supremacy.
It is now a criminal offence for anyone to use or deal with the assets of, or make assets available to, Terrorgram.
“This demonstrates the Albanese government’s commitment to disrupting the activities of terrorists and violent extremists and preventing them from recruiting and radicalising people online,” Wong said in a statement.
“It is the first time any Australian government has imposed counter-terrorism financing sanctions on an entity based entirely online.”
Australians linked to Terrorgram
Late last year two alleged leaders of Terrorgram were charged in the US, with the US Department of State designating it as a terrorist organisation earlier this year and sanctioning its leaders, including a Brazilian, South African and Croatian.
The UK Home Office designated it as a proscribed terrorist network in April last year, and described the group as pursuing the “collapse of the Western world and a ‘race war’ through violent acts of terrorism”.
Terrorgram has been linked to at least two attacks, including a live-streamed stabbing outside a mosque in Turkiye in August last year and a shooting at a gay bar in Slovakia in October 2022.
Wong said that there is “certainly evidence that Terrorgram is used by people in Australia” but refused to be drawn on whether the online organisation has been linked to any of the recent spate of antisemitic incidents in Australia.
The AFP has previously said it is investigating whether foreign actors have paid locals on Australian soil to carry out these attacks.
“White supremacists, terrorists who are utilising this network now face counter-terrorism sanctions if they engage with the assets or provide financial support,” Wong said on ABC News Breakfast on Monday.
“This is an online network which is all about extremism, white supremacists, people who spread hate.
“And so, we have to use all the tools at our disposal to keep people safe, to keep Australians safe, and to prevent our kids being radicalised online.
“We have to take action to prevent this network from continuing to be utilised.”
Telegram controversy
Terrorgram is primarily based on a number of Telegram channels.
Telegram is an encrypted messaging services whose CEO and founder Pabel Durov was last year arrested in Paris and later charged with complicity in relation to crimes being perpetrated on the platform, including the distribution of child abuse material and hacking software.
Durov was also charged with refusing to cooperate with investigations into illegal activity on Telegram.
Shortly following this, Telegram updated its terms of service to disclose that it would be better cooperating with law enforcement agencies and hand over IP addresses and phone numbers of its users in response to “valid requests”.
This marked a major policy change for the company that had become notorious for its lax moderation and refusal to cooperate with law enforcement agencies around the world.
