Telegram says Apple suspension followed content norms violation by one user

Messaging app Telegram has said it was briefly removed from Apple’s App Store globally after the iPhone maker reported one user had shared “child sexual abuse material”.

The incident, which Telegram reported on Tuesday, follows a similar suspension in 2018, when Apple temporarily pulled Telegram for material the app’s founder Pavel Durov called “inappropriate content” at the time, only to be restored after Telegram beefed up safeguards.

An Apple spokesperson confirmed the recent brief removal, saying its review found content that violated 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 spokesperson added.

The app was removed and restored on the same day, after Telegram took action.

Telegram, which has more than a billion monthly active users, says it has a zero-tolerance policy for material on child sexual abuse, blocking nearly 338,000 groups and channels over such items this year.

“I’m sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future, right? Apple,” Telegram posted on X in response to a user who shared the Apple statement.

Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Fortnite-maker Epic Games, which has been embroiled in legal challenges with Apple for years, questioned the US tech giant’s decision.