- Apple removed Telegram from its App Store globally on August 3 after a review found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the platform, then restored the app hours later after Telegram deleted the content and banned the user who posted it.
- New users could not download Telegram during the removal, while existing users kept access throughout.
- Telegram confirmed that the app had returned to the App Store without explaining the removal, stating, "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated."
- In February 2018, Apple pulled Telegram globally over what it classified as inappropriate content.
- In 2024, Apple removed Telegram from the Chinese App Store, alongside WhatsApp, Threads, and Signal, following an order from the country’s internet regulator.
Apple removed Telegram from its App Store on August 3 after a review found child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the platform. The app was restored hours later after Telegram deleted the content and banned the user responsible.1
An Apple spokesperson stated, “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.” During the removal, new users were unable to download Telegram, but existing users maintained access. The app remained available on the Mac App Store and Google Play.23
Telegram confirmed its return to the App Store, humorously stating on its official X account, “Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated,” followed by an Apple emoji. The platform has been proactive in combating CSAM, having removed over 337,900 groups and channels related to CSAM in 2026.45
This incident highlights Apple's role as a gatekeeper in the app ecosystem, enforcing content guidelines through its App Store rather than relying solely on Telegram's moderation systems. The takedown of Telegram also raises questions about the consistency of enforcement across all apps in the store, as noted by users on social media.
In a broader context, Apple has previously removed Telegram globally in February 2018 for similar reasons, indicating a pattern of strict enforcement against CSAM.6
The recent incident underscores the ongoing challenges in moderating content on digital platforms and the responsibilities of both app developers and gatekeepers like Apple.
“The takedown routes CSAM enforcement through Apple's App Store rather than Telegram's own moderation or a government blocking order. Telegram said it has removed more than 337,900 CSAM-related groups and channels in 2026, and existing users kept access while the app remained on the Mac App Store and Google Play.”
MediaNama
