Topline<\/p>\n
Apple briefly took down messaging app Telegram from its App Store on Monday alleging it violated its guidelines on child sex abuse material\u2014it\u2019s the latest controversy surrounding the platform after its billionaire founder was recently accused by Russia of aiding terrorism, and Australia alleged it failed to block violent content.<\/p>\n
The Telegram app was briefly removed from Apple’s iPhone and iPad App Stores on Monday night.<\/p>\n
dpa\/picture alliance via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
The app was taken down from the iPhone and iPad App Stores without warning on Monday evening, preventing new users from downloading it.<\/p>\n
Existing users were able to continue using Telegram during this period, before the app was eventually restored on the App Store the same day.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued to various<\/a> outlets<\/a>, Apple said it had removed Telegram after a review found \u201ccontent that violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material.\u201d<\/p>\n The iPhone maker added that the messaging app was restored to the App Store after the platform \u201cpromptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it.\u201d<\/p>\n Telegram\u2019s official X account, whose recent posts are mostly memes and jokes, reacted to the restoration by tweeting<\/a>: \u201cReports of my demise are greatly exaggerated,\u201d followed by the Apple emoji.<\/p>\n what has Telegram said about Apple\u2019s Actions?<\/p>\n In an emailed statement shared with Forbes, Telegram said: \u201cApple reported one user sharing CSAM that was immediately banned. Telegram has removed more than 337,900 groups and channels related to CSAM in 2026.\u201d In a post on X<\/a>, the messaging platform took a swipe at Apple\u2019s statement by tagging the company and saying: \u201cI\u2019m sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future right?\u201d Both the post and the emailed statement included a link to Telegram\u2019s safety overview page<\/a> highlighting the number of CSAM related takedowns, including the 29,640 removals in 2025 conducted after reports from NGOs like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.<\/p>\n Chief Critic<\/p>\n Even though the app was restored after a short ban, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of the gaming company Epic Games called out Apple\u2019s handling of the matter. Sweeney, who brought a high-profile antitrust case against Apple and has been a prominent critic of its 30% App Store fee, wrote<\/a>: \u201cApple’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.\u201d He added<\/a>: \u201cApple has stated they removed the app from availability to a billion users because a Telegram user posted something horrible and illegal\u2026Such arbitrary policy enforcement, by a monopoly gatekeeper, creates a perfect storm of fear and acquiescence by developers who are victims of Apple\u2019s monopoly.\u201d<\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n Late last month, Russian authorities charged Telegram\u2019s CEO and founder Pavel Durov with aiding terrorism amid an ongoing broader crackdown by the country on major internet platforms. Telegram has emerged as a key platform for communication and announcements amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and is used by both sides. The Russian intelligence service FSB alleged that<\/a> Telegram\u2019s leadership had failed to remove \u201cnumerous channels, chats and bots\u201d which it claimed were being used by \u201cUkrainian intelligence agencies, terrorist and extremist organizations to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage and terrorism, mass murder, and cyber fraud\u201d in Russia. The FSB claimed this had resulted in \u201cnumerous human casualties,\u201d without mentioning any specific incident. Telegram appeared to respond<\/a> to Russia\u2019s action by posting a photo of Durov flashing a middle finger on X. The billionaire Telegram CEO was born in St. Petersburg, Russia but, according to the company, lives in Dubai and holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France.<\/p>\n forbes valuation<\/p>\n According to Forbes\u2019 estimates<\/a>, Durov\u2019s net worth is $6.6 billion, ranking him the 601st-richest person in the world.<\/p>\n What About Telegram\u2019s Other Recent Controversies?<\/p>\n Last week, Australia\u2019s internet safety watchdog initiated legal action<\/a> against Telegram for allegedly failing to take down extremist content from the platform, including videos of white supremacist mass shootings and beheadings carried out by ISIS. Telegram dismissed<\/a> the allegations and said it plans to \u201ccontest them in court.\u201d In 2024, Durov was arrested<\/a> by French authorities and indicted on multiple criminal charges linked to the distribution of child sexual abuse material, selling narcotics, fraud, and money laundering on Telegram. In a statement<\/a> posted on the the messaging app, the company denied the allegations and said Durov \u201chas nothing to hide\u201d and it\u2019s \u201cabsurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.\u201d<\/p>\n further reading<\/p>\n