Apple Restores Telegram On App Store After Brief CSAM-Related Takedown

Apple briefly removed Telegram from its App Store globally yesterday after an App Store review identified content that violated its policies on child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The iPhone maker later restored the messaging app after the said content was removed. 

The iPhone maker said Telegram was reinstated after “the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it”.

For a brief period, Telegram’s App Store listing displayed a message stating, “The page you’re looking for can’t be found,” making the app unavailable for new downloads. Existing users, however, continued to access the service, while Telegram remained available on the Google Play Store and the Mac App Store. 

Telegram later confirmed that the app returned to Apple’s marketplace, saying, “Telegram has been restored on the App Store and should soon be available again for all users,” without elaborating on the incident. 

According to Bloomberg, Apple removed the app after an App Store review identified content that breached its strict rules on CSAM.

After the restoration, Telegram appeared to make light of the incident, posting on X: “Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated.” 

The latest episode echoes a similar incident in 2018, when Apple removed both Telegram and its alternative client app Telegram X from the App Store after determining that users could access inappropriate content, including CSAM, through the platforms. Telegram later introduced additional safeguards, following which both apps were reinstated. 

Telegram Faces Growing Regulatory Heat In India

The latest development comes amid mounting regulatory scrutiny of Telegram in India over concerns ranging from piracy and cybercrime to drug trafficking and examination paper leaks. 

Most recently, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a notice to Telegram over the alleged circulation of pirated films and OTT content on the platform. The ministry directed the messaging app to submit an action taken report within 15 days and explain its grievance redressal mechanism for producers, OTT platforms and law enforcement agencies. 

The platform has also come under the scanner over its username-based identity feature. Earlier, the Centre sought an explanation from Telegram on why the functionality should continue to be offered, raising concerns over its potential misuse. Similar queries were also sent to Signal regarding safeguards on its platform.

Separately, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), in its 2025 annual report, identified Telegram as a major platform for advertising illegal narcotics. The agency said the app’s public channels and ease of access make it an attractive medium for traffickers to promote drugs.

Responding to these concerns, Telegram said criminal activity exists across online platforms but maintained that it actively combats misuse through “industry-leading moderation” that removes millions of harmful posts every day.

Telegram has also been embroiled in the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy. During proceedings before the Delhi High Court, the Centre described the platform as the “new dark web”, arguing that its cloud-based architecture, public channels, bots, large groups and username-based identities enable activities such as cyber fraud, financial scams, drug trafficking, child exploitation, piracy and terrorism.

As part of its submissions, the government also pointed to a Telegram channel named “NEET Mafia”, which allegedly circulated content related to the paper leak, including advance booking arrangements, and payment mechanisms.

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