Telegram removed from App Store worldwide: Reason behind Apple's move
Telegram returned to the App Store after being blocked (Photo: Unsplash)
Telegram disappeared from the App Store worldwide for several hours. Apple removed the messenger due to illegal content, but after a quick response from the developers, access to the app was restored, according to Reuters.
Apple confirmed the temporary removal and said that a review had uncovered content that directly violated the App Store guidelines.
The app was returned to the catalog immediately after the Telegram team removed the illegal material and blocked the account responsible for posting it.
It is worth noting that a similar incident occurred in 2018. At the time, Apple also temporarily suspended access to the messenger due to inappropriate content; the app was restored after additional security measures were introduced.
Telegram's response and regulatory pressure
The Telegram team said it has zero tolerance for material involving minors.
Representatives of the service, which has more than one billion monthly active users, said they had blocked nearly 338,000 groups and channels linked to illegal content.
At the same time, Telegram publicly commented on Apple's moderation decision, expressing hope that similarly strict removal standards would be applied to all other apps in the store.
The situation was also criticized by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, who has long opposed Apple's corporate policies.
In his view, temporarily blocking an app with a billion-user audience because of one user's illegal actions sets a dangerous precedent.
Sweeney noted that if such strict criteria were applied consistently, any large communication platform could face removal, including Apple's own messaging service - iMessage.
Growing regulatory scrutiny
Telegram remains under increased attention from international regulators.
In the UK, regulator Ofcom is investigating the spread of prohibited content on the platform, although Telegram representatives claim that automated detection systems have almost eliminated the public distribution of such material.
In addition, earlier this year, Australia's online safety regulator fined the platform for delaying responses to requests regarding measures to combat illegal content.
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