Telegram CEO says 'takedown extortionist' caused brief App Store removal

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has taken to social media to explain why the app was briefly delisted from Apple's App Store earlier this week. He claims the service was targeted by a 'takedown extortionist' – someone who manipulated content to force a company into paying a ransom.

According to Durov, a malicious actor edited an old message inside an active group chat to show AI-altered illegal content that group members would not likely notice or report. This was part of an extortion scheme: the attacker would then deploy a network of automated accounts to report their own post to Apple, unless Telegram paid to be left alone.

The Telegram CEO accused Apple of overreacting and removing the app without prior contact. He warned that this creates a potential systemic risk for every mobile app that hosts user-generated content. The responsibility of platforms for content created by users has been a long-standing debate in the tech industry.

This incident is not the first time Telegram or Durov have faced questions about content moderation and user behavior. However, the increasing capabilities of AI tools – including chatbots that can edit images and video – make it easier for extortionists to execute such attacks, as they can quickly produce convincing fake material that automates reporting and creates false impressions.