UPDATE: Pavel Durov has explained why Telegram was briefly removed from the App Store.

According to Durov, a single attacker planted AI-modified illegal content inside an active public group by editing an old message, making it difficult for members to notice and report.

Durov described the attacker as a takedown extortionist — someone who allegedly demands ransom from group owners, then plants prohibited content and reports it directly to Apple when they refuse to pay.

He says Apple removed Telegram from the App Store before contacting the company, despite Telegram using user reports, AI filters, content hashes and other moderation tools to detect and remove illegal material.

Telegram removed the content, banned the account responsible, and the app was restored within hours.

Durov warned that this exposes a wider risk: coordinated attackers could potentially manipulate app-store enforcement to target legitimate communities and even entire platforms.

His message to other developers and online communities: STAY VIGILANT.

@TonNomads