Telegram says Apple suspension followed content norms violation by one user

Telegram faced a brief suspension from Apple’s App Store on Tuesday following a user sharing "child sexual abuse material," according to the messaging app. The incident echoes a similar suspension in 2018 when Apple temporarily removed Telegram for allegedly hosting "inappropriate content," only to reinstate the app after Telegram enhanced its safety measures.

Apple's spokesperson confirmed the removal, stating that the app violated guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material, before reinstating it once Telegram removed the offending content and banned the user who posted it. The brief removal and subsequent reactivation occurred on the same day. Telegram, boasting over a billion monthly active users, maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for child sexual abuse material, removing nearly 338,000 groups and channels this year.

The company's stance on this matter was met with skepticism by Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, known for legal disputes with Apple. Sweeney questioned Apple's decision, suggesting that the company's policy may not be consistently applied across all apps in the store. Apple did not provide further details on the guideline violation that led to the suspension.

Despite facing regulatory scrutiny, including an investigation by Britain's Ofcom in April over suspected child sexual abuse material sharing, Telegram has denied these accusations. The company maintains that its detection algorithms have been effective in virtually eliminating the spread of such material since 2018. Additionally, Telegram was fined by Australia’s online safety regulator in February for delays in addressing measures to curb child abuse and violent extremist content.