Why was Telegram suddenly taken down from Apple’s App Store, then restored?

Telegram was briefly removed from Apple’s App Store after concerns about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the platform. In August 3^rd 2026, Apple removed Telegram from the App Store worldwide. The move came after Apple found that Telegram had broken its rules against child sexual abuse material. People who already had Telegram installed could still use the app while it was unavailable on the App Store. Apple brought Telegram back the next day after the company removed the CSAM content and banned the user who shared it. This is not the first time Telegram has faced criticism for weak content moderation. The platform has also been linked to scams, piracy, terrorism, criminal activity and the spread of false information. Pavel Durov, who is the CEO of telegram said that, Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting the company about the issue. “This creates a potential systemic risk for every mobile app that hosts 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.”

Telegram defended its content moderation by saying it has removed more than 337900 groups and channels linked to CSAM in 2026. The company also says on its safety page that it blocks thousands of groups and channels every day and removes millions of posts that break its rules.

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