Telegram: Ongoing Safety Concerns for Teenagers
An advisory about the risks Telegram poses to young users due to limited moderation, encrypted messaging, and accessible adult content.
Published: 2026-03-20
What Changed
While Telegram has not made significant safety changes, this advisory is issued because the platform continues to present serious risks for young users. Telegram allows users to join public groups and channels with minimal age verification, many of which contain explicit adult content, drug-related material, or extremist content. The platform's encrypted messaging and self-destructing messages make it difficult for parents to monitor conversations. Telegram's official minimum age is 16, but enforcement is minimal.
What to Review
- •Check whether your child has Telegram installed on their devices — it may have been downloaded for group chats with friends.
- •Be aware that Telegram groups can contain thousands of members, including adults, with minimal moderation.
- •Understand that Telegram's 'Secret Chat' feature uses end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages, making monitoring very difficult.
Parent Actions
- 1Have an open conversation about why your child uses Telegram and which groups or channels they have joined.
- 2Consider whether Telegram is appropriate for your child given the limited safety features — for most children under 16, safer alternatives exist for group messaging.
- 3If your child continues to use Telegram, review the privacy settings: restrict who can see their phone number, set 'Who can add me to groups' to 'My Contacts', and enable two-step verification.
Full app guide
View the complete Telegram safety guide
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
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Last reviewed: 2026-03-29