Telegram Says It Was Hit by "Takedown Extortion" Attack: Apple App Store Briefly Removed App Due to User-Implanted Violative Content

Odaily Planet Daily News Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov stated that Telegram was briefly removed from the App Store by Apple recently, after a user implanted illegal pornographic content in a public group. The app was restored within hours.

Durov said the attacker exploited a technical vulnerability to insert AI-modified illegal content into old messages within active groups, hiding the content by editing historical messages, making it difficult for regular group members to detect and report in time. This type of attack constitutes "takedown extortion," where attackers use automated accounts to implant violative content in public groups and report it to platforms like Apple, attempting to force group administrators to pay a ransom, or else exploit platform rules to get the community banned.

Durov added that Telegram continuously combats illegal content through mechanisms such as user reports, AI filtering, and content hashing. This incident is not a systemic issue with the platform, but rather a targeted attack exploiting rule loopholes. He also warned that Apple's removal of the app without prior contact with Telegram could pose a risk to all mobile applications offering user-generated content (UGC), and platform developers need to strengthen their defenses against malicious reporting and "takedown attacks."