In 2026, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov took to X (formerly Twitter) to lament an extortionist who planted child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a public chat, prompting Apple to swiftly pull Telegram from the App Store on Monday night. Durov argues that this incident highlights a systemic risk for all mobile apps hosting user-generated content—potentially any app can be removed without prior warning. He quips that extortionists have mastered the art of making Apple overreact, suggesting that if an app used by more than a billion people can face such a fate, any app is vulnerable.

However, one might wonder: did Durov consider that perhaps Apple has its own set of stringent criteria for app store inclusion? Maybe Telegram just didn’t meet the latest standards—perhaps the interface was too clunky or the user experience lacked polish. The CSAM incident could have been a mere catalyst for deeper underlying issues with Telegram’s integration into Apple’s ecosystem.

Furthermore, Durov’s claim that an extortionist planted CSAM specifically to get Telegram pulled from the App Store is bold but not entirely substantiated. It’s possible that the CSAM was already present and simply surfaced at a crucial moment. Extortionists love drama, but does this particular drama prove their mastery over Apple’s decision-making? Perhaps Apple just needed a convenient excuse after years of tolerating Telegram’s quirks.

Durov also suggests that any app can be removed without warning, implying that user-generated content is the Achilles’ heel of mobile apps. Yet, consider Instagram or TikTok—both teem with user-generated content and have remained in Apple’s good graces for years. Maybe Telegram just needed to step up its game: perhaps a few more stickers or better integration with Apple Watch would have saved it from the extortionist’s clutches.

In essence, while Durov paints a vivid picture of an extortionate CSAM culprit sending Telegram into exile, the narrative might be a bit overblown. Apple’s decision could stem from deeper compatibility or design issues, and Telegram may just need to embrace its quirks or upgrade its features to secure a permanent spot on our smartphones. So next time you open Telegram, give it a pat for surviving the CSAM extortionist—or maybe just for being a quirky app we can’t live without!