Telegram CEO Says Extortionist Manipulated Apple Into App Store Removal

Telegram was subject to a "takedown extortionist" who planted AI-modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to get Apple to remove the app from the App Store , Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said today . Apple removed Telegram from the App Store for about 40 minutes on Monday night after discovering CSAM, but reinstated the app after Telegram removed the content. The attacker was a takedown extortionist: someone who demands ransom from group owners in exchange for not targeting their communities.