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Apple Briefly Removes Telegram From App Store Over CSAM, Restores App

The short delisting highlights App Store gatekeeper power and raises concerns that attackers could edit messages to force removals.

Overview

  • Telegram vanished from App Store search results Monday night and returned within about an hour after Apple said a review found child sexual abuse material.
  • Apple said it restored the listing after Telegram removed the offending content and banned the user who posted it.
  • Telegram confirmed Apple reported a single account and pointed to hundreds of thousands of prior takedowns this year to show its moderation activity.
  • CEO Pavel Durov alleged a ‘takedown extortion’ trick in which an attacker edited old messages with AI-modified illegal content to trigger the removal.
  • The episode briefly blocked new iOS downloads, left existing users working, slightly moved TON/Gram markets, and sharpened debate over app-store enforcement and platform risk.