Apple briefly removes Telegram from App Store, Gram rebounds

Apple temporarily removed the messaging app Telegram from its App Store following a review that detected content in violation of the company's policies on child sexual abuse material, according to Bloomberg. The removal followed the platform's decision to ban the user responsible for posting the banned material. Telegram swiftly responded to the situation by removing the offending content and imposing a ban on the user, leading Apple to reinstate the app on its platform.

The incident caused the Telegram-linked token Gram to experience a significant drop in value, plummeting approximately 6.4% to $1.32 from its previous price of $1.41. This occurred in the aftermath of the reported removal. However, Telegram's token has since rebounded, currently trading at around $1.40, as per data from CoinGecko.

In response to the controversy, Telegram posted on X, now known as Twitter, a message stating "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated," followed by an apple emoji. This statement was a reference to the popular phrase often attributed to the character Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.

Moreover, Telegram is currently facing legal challenges in Russia and Australia. In Russia, the platform is being investigated for terrorism-related charges against its founder, Pavel Durov, as the government alleges that Telegram failed to adequately address alleged extremist content. Simultaneously, Australia's eSafety Commissioner has commenced court proceedings against Telegram for alleged failures to remove terrorism-related material from its platform.