Blackmailer Planted Fake Content to Get Telegram Removed from Apple's App Store

Apple removed Telegram from its App Store on August 3, 2026, after a blackmailer secretly edited an old message in a public Telegram group to add AI-altered child sexual abuse images, then reported it to Apple. Group members could not see the hidden changes. Apple removed the app before asking Telegram about it. Telegram returned to the store later that day.