Apple temporarily removed Telegram from the iPhone and iPad App Store on August 4, 2026, after a review discovered content violating its strict child sexual abuse material (CSAM) guidelines [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The app was restored the same day after Telegram promptly removed the offending content and banned the user who posted it [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Telegram said it has removed more than 337,900 groups and channels related to CSAM this year alone and stated it maintains a zero-tolerance policy on such material [3, 4]. The app, which has more than 1 billion monthly active users, had previously been removed from the App Store in 2018 over similar CSAM issues but was reinstated after adding stronger safeguards [2, 3].
Telegram criticized Apple’s enforcement approach via posts on X (formerly Twitter), questioning Apple’s consistency by asking, "I’m sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future, right?" and declared, "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated" [1, 2].
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney also criticized Apple’s decision, highlighting the difficulty in policing large communication platforms. He said on X, "Apple has stated they removed the app from availability to a billion users because a Telegram user posted something horrible and illegal... Such arbitrary policy enforcement, by a monopoly gatekeeper... They did not elaborate on how, if that is the standard for app removal, any communications app could operate at scale, including iMessage" [3, 4].
Separately, Australia’s Office of the Internet Safety Commissioner has filed a lawsuit against Telegram alleging failure to remove terrorist-related content from its platform [1, 5].
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was added to Russia’s list of terrorists and extremists on June 30, 2026, a designation unrelated to the Apple removal, but indicative of ongoing legal and political pressures facing the company [1, 5].
Telegram removed the violating content on August 4, leading to Apple reinstating the app on the same day [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Apple said the removal was based on a review that found content violating its strict CSAM rules [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
