what has Telegram said about Apple’s Actions?
In an emailed statement shared with Forbes, Telegram said: “Apple reported one user sharing CSAM that was immediately banned. Telegram has removed more than 337,900 groups and channels related to CSAM in 2026.” In a post on X, the messaging platform took a swipe at Apple’s statement by tagging the company and saying: “I’m sure this stance will be applied equally to all other apps in the store, in the future right?” Both the post and the emailed statement included a link to Telegram’s safety overview page highlighting the number of CSAM related takedowns, including the 29,640 removals in 2025 conducted after reports from NGOs like the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
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Chief Critic
Even though the app was restored after a short ban, the billionaire co-founder and CEO of the gaming company Epic Games called out Apple’s handling of the matter. Sweeney, who brought a high-profile antitrust case against Apple and has been a prominent critic of its 30% App Store fee, wrote: “Apple’s App Store desperately needs competition worldwide. Apple capriciously removes a vital communication and privacy tool from availability to a billion users, and sadly this is business as usual.” He added: “Apple has stated they removed the app from availability to a billion users because a Telegram user posted something horrible and illegal…Such arbitrary policy enforcement, by a monopoly gatekeeper, creates a perfect storm of fear and acquiescence by developers who are victims of Apple’s monopoly.”
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