Apple temporarily removed Telegram from the App Store after finding that the app violated its policies on child sexual abuse material.
The app was temporarily unavailable to users in the United States, Australia, India, and Singapore. It was later restored to the App Store after Telegram removed the prohibited content and permanently banned the user responsible for posting it.
According to a Telegram spokesperson, Apple notified the company about a single case involving child sexual abuse material. The offending account was promptly banned, allowing the app to return to the App Store shortly afterward.
Telegram also said it has removed more than 300,000 groups and channels linked to child sexual abuse material since the beginning of 2026. The incident is the latest in a series of controversies involving the messaging platform.
Earlier this year, Australia’s online safety regulator filed a lawsuit against Telegram, alleging the company failed to remove terrorism-related content despite being notified about videos of terrorist executions and mass shootings. Telegram rejected the allegations and said it would challenge them in court.
The company has also faced pressure in Russia. The country’s Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Telegram founder Pavel Durov of failing to remove channels and bots allegedly used to coordinate terrorist attacks. Following those accusations, Durov was placed on Russia’s international wanted list.
In 2024, Durov was arrested in France as part of an investigation into Telegram’s alleged role in facilitating cybercrime. He was later released on €5 million bail.
French authorities launched the investigation over suspicions that the platform had been used to facilitate illegal activities, including drug trafficking, money laundering, the distribution of child sexual abuse material, and other criminal offenses.
Founded in 2013, Telegram now has more than 1 billion monthly active users worldwide.
