Apple restored Telegram to its App Store after a brief removal, and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov explained the incident. Apple confirmed to Reuters that Telegram was temporarily removed after its review found content violating policies against child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Durov said the incident was not a normal moderation failure but an organised attempt using AI-modified illegal content. On X, he wrote, “Last night Apple briefly removed Telegram from the App Store because a user had planted illegal porn in a public chat.” He said the attacker edited an old message in an active public group and inserted AI-modified illegal content, which became “effectively hidden” from group members while remaining visible for external reporting. Durov alleged the attacker was a “takedown extortionist” who demands ransom from group owners. He criticised Apple for removing the app before reaching out, warning, 'If an app used by more than a billion people can be removed from the App Store without prior warning, any app can be.” He stressed that tactics used by “takedown extortionists” are becoming more sophisticated and could affect other social media platforms unprepared for such attacks.