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Apple reveals why it briefly removed Telegram from the App Store: 'Our review found content that violates...'
Apple has confirmed that Telegram was temporarily removed from the App Store after a review found content violating its guidelines.
Apple said it temporarily removed Telegram after its review found “content that violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material.” The iPhone maker added that Telegram acted quickly by removing the offending content and banning the user responsible.
The app was subsequently restored to the App Store.
Also read: Why was Telegram briefly removed from Apple App Store? Netizens blame Epstein tweet
Why did Apple remove Telegram?
Telegram vanished from App Store search results on Monday, preventing new users from downloading the app on Apple devices. Users who had already installed Telegram reported that the messaging service continued to function normally during the brief outage.
Initial reports suggested the reason for the disappearance was unclear.
Telegram did not immediately explain the cause of the removal either. Instead, after the app returned, its official X account joked, "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated 🍎."
Apple later clarified that the removal followed a review identifying content that breached its rules on child sexual abuse material. According to the company, Telegram promptly removed the content and permanently banned the account responsible, allowing the app to return to the App Store.
In a response to 9 to 5 Mac, Apple said, “We briefly removed Telegram from the App Store after our review found content that violates our strict 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.”
Also read: How Telegram’s ‘edited’ feature became a tool for scammers targeting vulnerable NEET students
Online speculation and criticism follow
Before Apple issued its explanation, many social media users speculated that Telegram's disappearance was connected to one of the platform's recent posts referencing the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The company had posted on X, "crazy that we're gonna get GTA 6 before the full Epstein files."
However, those were just unverified claims from social media users.
The temporary takedown also renewed criticism of Apple's App Store policies. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney argued that Apple's control over app distribution gives it excessive power. He said Apple had removed "a vital communication and privacy tool" over content posted by a user and called it the enforcement "arbitrary."
The messaging app then tagged Apple in an X post, mocking the company's remark. “I'm sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future, right?”
