Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations

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Apple briefly yanked Telegram from the App Store over CSAM violations

Telegram came back to the App Store after it took down the illegal content and banned the user who posted it.

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Telegram is back on the App Store after Apple briefly removed it on Monday night over concerns about child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In a statement to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple says a review found that Telegram “violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material,” adding that it restored the app “after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it.”

Telegram responded to Apple’s statement in a post on X, saying: “I’m sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future, ​right?” Telegram also includes a link to its safety overview page, which says the messaging app “blocks tens of thousands of groups and channels daily and removes millions of pieces of content” that violate its policies.

“Apple was wrong to disrupt the legitimate communication of a billion people over the actions of a single user,” Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn says in a statement to The Verge. Vaughn adds that Telegram has removed more than 337,900 groups and channels related to CSAM in 2026.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

In 2018, Apple similarly removed Telegram from the App Store due to the presence of CSAM. Telegram’s moderation policies have come under fire in recent years, with French authorities arresting its CEO Pavel Durov in 2024 and charging him with enabling illegal transactions and complicity in the distribution of CSAM. The messaging app disabled some “misused” features and changed its approach to private chats as a result.

Update, August 4th: Added a statement from Telegram.

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