Telegram was briefly removed from Apple's App Store on Monday after Apple identified content that violated its guidelines on child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The messaging app was restored after Telegram removed the content and banned the user responsible.
Telegram was removed from the App Store at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET on August 3, blocking new downloads in multiple countries such as the US, India, Australia, and Singapore. Current users could still access and use the app, and Telegram stayed accessible on the Google Play Store for the duration of the disruption.
Apple said in a statement that the app was removed after a review identified content that breached its policies on child sexual abuse material."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 company said.
Telegram stated that Apple had identified one user distributing the material, who was promptly banned. The company further noted that it has taken down over 300,000 groups and channels associated with such content since the beginning of this year.
Previous incidents and regulatory scrutiny
Telegram was briefly removed from Apple's App Store in 2018 over inappropriate content before being reinstated. The platform has also faced regulatory scrutiny in the UK and Australia over its handling of illegal content. Separately, founder Pavel Durov is facing legal proceedings in France over allegations linked to the platform's moderation of illegal content, which he and Telegram deny.
The incident highlights Apple's enforcement of App Store safety policies and the growing scrutiny of how major messaging platforms moderate illegal content. While Telegram restored its App Store availability within an hour, regulators in several countries continue to examine whether large platforms are doing enough to detect and remove harmful material.
