Telegram CEO blames takedown extortionist for child abuse media, defends content moderation

Pavel Durov said an attacker had planted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has responded to Apple’s brief takedown of the Telegram app, alleging that a “takedown extortionist” had planted illegal content in a public chat, even as he criticised Apple for the actions it took against the platform.Apple took down Telegram from its App Store for a short period, with media outlets reporting the presence of child sexual abuse media (CSAM) on the platform. Telegram later took action against the offender.The Telegram CEO defined a takedown extortionist as an attacker who demanded ransom from group owners in exchange for not targeting their communities. He claimed that they would use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups and then report the same content to Apple, in order to trigger a takedown of the community if the ransom was not paid.Mr. Durov went on to explain that the attacker had planted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat, so it was not immediately seen by the members.“From a practical standpoint, illegal pornographic content in Telegram’s public groups is not a systemic problem. Our moderation is effective. The fact that attackers must resort to backdated, effectively invisible content and other technical tricks proves this,” Mr. Durov claimed.However, he went on to criticise Apple for “overreacting” by removing Telegram from the app store without contacting the company first. Mr. Durov also defended Telegram’s track record of identifying such content when compared to other platforms.“Extortionists have found a way to manipulate Apple into overreacting. Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting us. This creates a potential systemic risk for every mobile app that hosts user-generated content. If an app used by more than a billion people can be removed from the App Store without prior warning, any app can be,” Mr. Durov wrote, urging users to be vigilant.Last night Apple briefly removed Telegram from the AppStore because a user had planted illegal porn in a public chat.Telegram was restored within hours. But I want to explain what happened — to warn other app developers and help protect online communities from similar attacks.…— Pavel Durov (@durov) August 4, 2026 Published - August 05, 2026 11:21 am IST