Brazilian organization SaferNet has handed over to authorities almost 15,000 Telegram addresses with signs of crimes: what exactly was discovered

Brazilian organization SaferNet appealed to the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD) of the country with a demand to inspect Telegram's work and the possible responsibility of the messenger for insufficient moderation of dangerous content.

The appeal is based on almost 15 thousand unique Telegram addresses that came into SaferNet's complaint system between 2017 and 2026. The organization asserts that some of these links were associated with materials of sexual violence against children and teenagers, incitement to self-harm, and other potentially criminal materials.

What exactly SaferNet discovered

In total, there were 14,969 unique Telegram addresses in the database. During the recheck in August, it turned out that most of the old links no longer lead to accessible content:

• 8,160 addresses (54.5%) — no longer existed or were deleted;
• 4,851 links (32.4%) — were already revoked invitations;
• 1,958 addresses (13.1%) — remained active and publicly accessible.

Among the active links, 435 were valid invitations to private groups. SaferNet reported that 1,093 of the 1,958 active addresses had signs of materials of sexual violence against children and teenagers. Another 22 were related to materials containing signs of incitement to self-harm or suicide.

Active links led researchers to new channels

The check showed that even old complaints can lead to larger networks. Analysis of the links posted on still active pages allowed SaferNet to discover another 468 Telegram channels that were not in its complaint database before.

The organization believes this is one of the signs that problematic communities are capable of recovering, changing addresses, and redirecting users between groups and channels. According to SaferNet, the number of complaints has been noticeably increasing since 2022. In July 2026, the organization registered 587 reports related to such Telegram addresses, which was the highest monthly figure for the entire observation period.

How the check was conducted

An important detail: as part of the current analysis, SaferNet did not gain access to users' private correspondence and did not join closed communities to read messages. The organization used publicly accessible Telegram preview pages and API requests without authorization.

This allowed checking whether the address exists, whether the respective channel or invitation is available, and what information is displayed publicly. The full list of active addresses was handed over to ANPD for further investigation.

Why the claims are directed specifically at Telegram

SaferNet believes that the problem lies not only in the actions of individual users. In the appeal, the organization raises the question of whether Telegram does enough to identify, remove, and prevent the recurring dissemination of illegal materials.

The claims concern the platform's architecture, its moderation mechanisms, and the ability to quickly create new channels and redirect users after previous ones are removed. The organization also draws attention to the use of automated bots and built-in Telegram tools for distributing and monetizing certain types of dangerous content. This refers to SaferNet's position, which will now have to be assessed by government bodies.

The Telegram problem in Brazil arose not for the first time

SaferNet has previously studied the distribution of illegal content on Telegram. In an earlier report, the organization analyzed hundreds of links received through its complaint system and discovered large communities associated with the distribution of materials of sexual violence against children.

The results of that study were passed to the Federal Public Ministry of Brazil (MPF) and other law enforcement agencies. The MPF itself cooperates with SaferNet in processing reports of online crimes and uses links received through its hotline as one of the sources of information for subsequent investigation.

Why closed and semi-closed channels are harder to moderate

Telegram combines open channels, groups, link invitations, and private spaces. This structure is convenient for ordinary users, but at the same time it complicates the search for illegal content.

After one channel is removed, its audience can receive a link to a new one, and a network of groups can exist under multiple addresses at once. The problem becomes especially serious when it concerns content that threatens children or people in vulnerable situations. Therefore, modern requirements for platforms increasingly concern not only the removal of a single publication after a complaint, but also the ability to identify recurring distribution networks.

What will happen next

The transfer of the list to ANPD does not mean that Telegram has already been recognized as a violator. The Brazilian regulator will have to assess SaferNet's materials, the platform's actions, and applicable legal requirements. A separate question is how quickly Telegram responds to complaints and prevents the reappearance of already identified networks.

For the authorities, this discussion is broader than one messenger: it concerns the responsibility of large digital platforms for how their technical architecture is used to distribute potentially criminal content. The story of almost 15 thousand Telegram addresses shows that the main problem is not only the number of individual posts. It is much harder to fight networks of channels, invitations, and interconnected communities that can continue to exist after the removal of a specific link.

Based on materials from: Folha de S.Paulo, SaferNet Brasil, Ministério Público Federal