A 40-minute absence, a swift response
At 9:30 p.m. ET on August 4, 2026, Apple took Telegram off the App Store. The removal followed an internal review that uncovered content violating its CSAM policies. Users searching for Telegram saw only error pages, but those already with the app kept using it without disruption. Less than an hour later, at 10:10 p.m., Apple restored it.
Apple confirmed the reason for the takedown in a statement. The company said the app was removed after finding content against its child sexual abuse guidelines. Telegram responded quickly, saying the issue stemmed from one user. Apple agreed the app could return once the content was deleted and the user was banned.
Telegram's track record in 2026
Telegram said it had already removed 337,900 groups and channels tied to CSAM in 2026. That followed 29,640 similar removals in 2025 after reports from child safety groups like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. The app is no stranger to Apple's scrutiny.
A familiar story from a familiar critic
This isn't the first time Apple has pulled Telegram from its store. In February 2018, the company removed both Telegram and its Telegram X client over content concerns. After adding new safeguards, the app was allowed back. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, known for his legal fight with Apple, used the event to argue for more competition in app distribution. He called the move 'business as usual' and questioned how any messaging app could scale under such terms, even if it were Apple's iMessage.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said an extortionist manipulated Apple into removing the app by planting AI-modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a public group. The attacker, a 'takedown extortionist,' used a 'technical trick' to edit an old message in an active group chat to add illegal content that evaded moderation tools. Group members did not see the modified message to report it, allowing the content to bypass detection. Durov claimed Apple was manipulated into overreacting and warned of a 'potential systemic risk for every mobile app that hosts user-generated content.' According to Durov, Apple pulled Telegram before contacting the company, and he described the incident as an edge case, not a systemic issue. Apple has not commented on Durov's claims.