Telegram CEO says an extortionist planted CSAM in a chat to get it pulled from the App Store

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov stated that an extortionist planted child sexual abuse material (CSAM) within a public chat to ensure the application was removed from the Apple App Store. Durov noted on X that Apple removed Telegram before contacting the company, which he claims creates a potential systemic risk. This explanation follows the brief removal of the app on Monday night, as the CEO elaborated on the specific events that triggered the App Store action.