GRAM tumbles after Telegram temporarily vanishes from Apple’s App Store
An attacker allegedly exploited the app's reporting system by planting illegal pornographic content in a public group.
Gram (GRAM) shed about 8% after Telegram vanished from Apple’s App Store for iPhone and iPad users.
Users reported Monday evening that the app could no longer be found through App Store searches on iOS and iPadOS devices. It’s still listed in the Mac App Store, however.
This is not the first time Telegram has disappeared from Apple’s App Store. In 2018, Apple temporarily removed Telegram and its experimental Telegram X over concerns about inappropriate content before restoring the apps after additional safeguards were introduced.
Following a temporary disappearance, Telegram said its messaging app has been reinstated on Apple’s App Store.
According to an Apple spokesperson cited by Reuters, Telegram was temporarily removed from the App Store after a review uncovered content which breached Apple’s rules on child sexual abuse material. The app returned after Telegram took down the content and banned the user who posted it.
Telegram says attacker exploited Apple reporting process
Durov said in a statement on Tuesday that Telegram’s temporary removal from Apple’s App Store was triggered by an extortion attempt in which an attacker allegedly hid illegal pornographic content inside a public group using a technical workaround to evade moderation.
As reported, the attacker edited an existing message to insert AI-generated illegal content, preventing group members from detecting and reporting it while enabling the material to be reported directly to Apple.
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Durov said the app’s automated moderation systems normally remove such content quickly and that the application was reinstated within hours.
He added that the incident highlights growing risks from coordinated “takedown extortionists” who allegedly plant illegal content in online communities before reporting it directly to Apple in an effort to force group owners into paying ransom.
Durov also criticized Apple for removing the app before contacting the company, warning that similar tactics could affect any platform hosting user-generated content.
Telegram’s brief removal from Apple’s App Store comes as the company faces pressure on multiple fronts.
Russian authorities have charged Durov with aiding terrorist activity, alleging the platform failed to remove the channels and bots used to organize attacks. The company also remains subject to restrictions and fines in Russia over its moderation practices.
Update (August 4, 10:07 a.m. ET): Added Apple’s comment, Telegram’s ongoing regulatory challenges.
Update (August 4, 11:46 a.m. ET): Added Durov’s comment.