Telegram’s Disturbing Secret: Massive Image Trade

Telegram has become a digital marketplace for non-consensual nude images and AI-generated deepfakes of women, with researchers exposing a massive underground trade involving tens of thousands of victims while the platform profits from subscription fees without taking action.

Story Snapshot

NGO AI Forensics uncovered over 80,000 intimate photos, videos, and audios traded across Telegram groups in Italy and Spain involving nearly 25,000 active users
Israeli police arrested a 16-year-old who earned approximately $26,000 selling nude photo booklets of women for $52 to $210 each on Telegram
AI-generated deepfakes manipulate women’s social media photos into fabricated nude images without consent, creating a growing “pandemic” of digital sexual abuse
Telegram accused of failing to moderate illegal content while monetizing the activity through premium subscriptions and features

Massive Scale of Digital Sexual Exploitation Exposed

AI Forensics researchers published a study Wednesday revealing the staggering scope of non-consensual intimate image trading on Telegram. The investigation documented more than 80,000 photos, videos, and audio files of women circulated across groups and channels primarily in Italy and Spain. Nearly 25,000 active users participated in this illicit marketplace, exchanging real intimate images stolen from victims alongside AI-generated deepfakes created by manipulating women’s Instagram and social media photos. The researchers emphasized that this content was shared and sold without the knowledge or consent of the women depicted, constituting image-based sexual abuse on an industrial scale.

Teen Arrested for Profiting from Non-Consensual Image Sales

Israeli police arrested a 16-year-old suspect Sunday following a months-long undercover investigation by the Northern District Cybercrime Unit. The Ma’at organization, an Israeli NGO combating sexual offenses, filed the initial complaint after identifying a Telegram group selling booklets of women’s nude photographs. Investigators determined the teen operator earned approximately $26,000 by charging between $52 and $210 per booklet. Naama Feilchenfeld, director of Ma’at, described the arrest as part of a “fruitful collaboration” with law enforcement but warned that such cases represent a “pandemic” requiring sustained enforcement efforts. The suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues.

Platform Accountability and Deepfake Technology Concerns

Telegram’s encrypted messaging structure and minimal content moderation have created an environment where criminal activity flourishes unchecked. AI Forensics directly accused the platform of profiting from this abuse through premium subscriptions and monetized features while failing to implement basic safety measures. The rise of deepfake technology since approximately 2017 has dramatically worsened the problem, enabling perpetrators to fabricate realistic nude images from ordinary social media photos using artificial intelligence tools. Similar exposure operations in Germany, Austria, and Chile have documented comparable deepfake trading networks, suggesting this represents a global crisis rather than isolated incidents.

Victims Left Vulnerable as Tech Giants Evade Responsibility

Women whose images are stolen and manipulated have virtually no recourse or agency in stopping the abuse. The combination of Telegram’s end-to-end encryption with hidden channels makes identifying and removing content nearly impossible for victims. European Union scrutiny on technology platforms continues to intensify, potentially spurring new regulations on deepfakes and content scanning mandates. However, as of the latest reports, Telegram has remained silent on the findings and has not announced policy changes or enforcement actions. This silence underscores a broader pattern among tech platforms prioritizing user growth and retention over user safety, leaving ordinary citizens—particularly women—vulnerable to exploitation while executives and shareholders profit from the very infrastructure enabling the abuse.