Telegram briefly pulled from App Store over CSAM, CEO blames extortionist who planted AI-modified content

Removal and restoration

On Monday, August 3, Telegram disappeared from Apple's App Store in several regions, including the United States, India, Australia, and Singapore. Apple confirmed it had temporarily removed the app after a review found content that violated its strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Reports of the removal began circulating around 21:30 Eastern Time and the app returned roughly 40 minutes later, around 22:10 Eastern Time (04:10 CEST on August 4), after Telegram removed the offending content and banned the user who posted it. While it was gone, new users could not download Telegram; existing users kept access throughout.

“We briefly removed Telegram from the App Store after our review found content that violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material. The app was subsequently restored after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it.”

The removal was brief but affected a service with more than a billion monthly active users. Telegram remained available on the Mac App Store and Google Play throughout the episode.

Durov blames extortionist

Hours after the restoration, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov published a detailed statement claiming the incident was caused by a "takedown extortionist." According to Durov, the attacker used an automated account to edit an old message in an active group chat, inserting AI-modified illegal content. Because the edit was backdated, the content was effectively hidden from group members, who could not see or report it. The extortionist then reported the group directly to Apple, triggering the removal.

“The attacker was a takedown extortionist: someone who demands ransom from group owners in exchange for not targeting their communities. These extortionists use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups and then report it directly to Apple, attempting to trigger the removal of legitimate communities whose owners refused to pay them.”

Durov argued that the incident demonstrates a systemic risk: Apple removed an app used by over a billion people without prior warning, creating a precedent that could affect any platform hosting user-generated content. He also warned that extortion tactics are evolving and that other platforms may not be equally prepared.

Telegram's response and moderation record

Telegram responded to Apple's statement with a sarcastic post on X, asking: "I'm sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future, right?" The company also linked to its safety overview page, which states that Telegram blocks tens of thousands of groups and channels daily and removes millions of pieces of content violating its policies. In 2026 alone, Telegram said it had blocked nearly 338,000 groups and channels dedicated to sharing CSAM.

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company has long battled Apple over App Store policies, questioned the decision.

“Apple's App Store desperately needs competition worldwide. Apple capriciously removes a vital communication and privacy tool from availability to a billion users, and sadly this is business as usual. Apple has stated they removed the app from availability to a billion users because a Telegram user posted something horrible and illegal. Such arbitrary policy enforcement, by a monopoly gatekeeper, creates a perfect storm of fear and acquiescence by developers who are victims of Apple's monopoly.”

Legal pressures on Telegram and Durov

The incident adds to a series of regulatory and legal challenges facing Telegram. In 2018, Apple similarly removed the app over CSAM concerns, restoring it after Telegram strengthened safeguards. More recently, French authorities arrested Durov in 2024 and charged him with enabling illegal transactions and complicity in distributing CSAM. Travel restrictions imposed on him were lifted in 2025. Russia has also charged Durov with aiding terrorism, alleging that Ukrainian security services used Telegram.

In April 2026, the UK communications regulator Ofcom launched an investigation into evidence of CSAM sharing on the platform. Telegram denied the accusations, saying it had "virtually eliminated" the public spread of such material through detection algorithms since 2018. In late July, Australia's internet safety watchdog began legal action against Telegram over its alleged failure to take down extremist content, including videos of white supremacist mass shootings and beheadings carried out by Islamic State. Telegram rejected the allegations and said it would contest them in court.