Researchers unmask trade in nude images on Telegram

Tens of thousands of intimate images of women have been traded without the subjects’ consent in Telegram groups and channels, researchers said Wednesday, calling for the platform to combat the practice.

Campaign group AI Forensics said it found almost 25,000 active users in a six-week study of Spanish and Italian groups who were sharing images such as unclothed women, often exchanged for cash.

The researchers tracked more than 80,000 files shared across 16 Telegram channels between December 2025 and February 2026.