Telegram Claims Extortion Attempt Led to App Store Removal
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has accused an extortionist of planting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a public chat as part of an apparent scheme to get the messaging platform removed from Apple's App Store. The app was temporarily taken down on Monday night, with Durov claiming Apple acted without prior warning or contacting Telegram directly.
In a post on X, Durov warned that the incident exposes a systemic risk for mobile apps hosting user-generated content. "If an app used by more than a billion people can be removed from the App Store without prior warning, any app can be," he stated. The CEO characterized the situation as extortionists finding a way to manipulate Apple into overreacting.
Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment on the incident. The company maintains strict policies regarding content violations on the App Store and typically removes apps found hosting illegal material. The case highlights ongoing tensions between platform moderation practices and the potential for bad actors to exploit reporting mechanisms for competitive or financial gain.