Popular messaging platform Telegram was briefly removed from Apple’s App Store globally after Apple identified child sexual abuse material shared by a user on the platform. The app was restored later the same day after Telegram removed the offending content and permanently banned the user, according to a Reuters report.
Gold 101.3FM, UAE’s No.1 radio station, has learned that Apple confirmed the temporary removal, saying its review found content that violated App Store guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material. The company said Telegram acted promptly by removing the content and taking action against the user, allowing the app to be reinstated.
This is not the first time Telegram has faced such action. In 2018, Apple temporarily removed the app over what Telegram founder Pavel Durov described as “inappropriate content” before restoring it after the platform strengthened its safeguards.
Telegram, which has more than one billion monthly active users, says it has a zero-tolerance policy towards child sexual abuse material and has blocked nearly 338,000 groups and channels containing such content so far this year. Responding on X, the company questioned whether Apple would apply the same standard consistently to all apps on the App Store.
The move also drew criticism from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who argued that if a single user’s illegal post was enough to remove an entire communications platform, the same standard could affect other messaging services, including Apple’s own iMessage.
Telegram continues to face regulatory scrutiny over its moderation practices. In April, UK communications regulator Ofcom launched an investigation into evidence suggesting child sexual abuse material was being shared on the platform, allegations Telegram has strongly denied, saying it has “virtually eliminated” the public spread of such material since 2018 through detection algorithms. In February, Australia’s online safety regulator also fined Telegram for delaying its response to questions about measures to tackle child abuse and violent extremist content.
