Apple removed Telegram from the App Store due to the presence of illegal content, while allowing X to remain despite the abundance of non-consensual deepfakes.
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For about an hour this week, Telegram disappeared from App Store . Even during that brief absence, it was a surprising state of affairs for such a large app: a means of communication for more than 1 billion users worldwide, widely used as a safe platform for people living in censored countries. Apple later revealed that it had removed the app due to the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and reinstated it once that content was removed.
However, this decision has raised questions and confusion about Apple’s moderation policies and how it treats different companies. One company that came to mind for many was X, the platform owned by Elon Musk, which remained on the App Store even as child sexual abuse images created by Grok flooded the platform. What led to Telegram’s removal but X’s ability to remain online?
The answer may be more political than technical. “When you implement content moderation policy across the entire platform, you expose yourself to the backlash that will occur,” Anupam Chander, a professor of law and technology at Georgetown, tells The Verge.
Both Telegram and X have faced their share of controversies. Telegram, based in Dubai, has gained a reputation for a lax approach to content moderation. In recent years, local governments have begun to pressure the app to delete content and impose new restrictions. For example, in 2017, Telegram began removing “terrorism-related content” after threats from Indonesia, while Germany considered banning Telegram in 2022 over allegations that it facilitated hate speech.
Tensions escalated in 2024 when French authorities arrested Pavel Durov, the Russian-born CEO and founder of Telegram, charging him with “complicity” in illegal activities related to illicit transactions and CSAM. As of last year, France’s investigation into Durov remains open. Last month, Russia accused Durov of facilitating terrorism, alleging that he was allowing Ukrainian spies to use Telegram to plan attacks in the country, to which Durov responded with a photo of himself showing the middle finger at the camera.
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Telegram has since reviewed its content moderation policies, changing its stance on moderating private messages, discontinuing some “abusive” features, including one that allowed users to find and message others nearby, and complying with court orders requesting information on users suspected of criminal activity.
The messaging app has also enhanced its detection of illegal material.
While it is large and important, Telegram is also seen as a political nuisance and a problematic platform in its own right. “X has a much stronger political support base in the United States than Telegram.”
Apple, as one of the largest technology companies in the world, has a huge influence on how apps work and are distributed on its devices. Its decision to remove Telegram, even temporarily, shows the company's sensitivity to issues related to user safety and child protection. However, the different treatment of X raises questions about the consistency of its policies and whether they are influenced by political pressures or other factors.
Content management on social media platforms is one of the most complex issues of the modern digital age. These platforms are called upon to balance freedom of expression with the need to protect users from harmful content. Apple, with its power, can significantly influence this balance, but it must do so in a way that is transparent and fair to all parties involved.
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This case highlights the need for clear and consistent content moderation policies from major technology companies, as well as the need for greater transparency in decision-making processes that affect millions of users worldwide.
