Telegram CEO says extortionist planted AI-edited CSAM to trigger App Store takedown

Telegram founder Pavel Durov says a takedown extortionist planted child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in a public chat and edited it with AI to trigger Apple’s App Store removal. Telegram says Apple removed the app before contacting them and attackers used automated reports to pressure takedowns. The incident highlights potential systemic risk for any app hosting user-generated content and demonstrates evolving extortion tactics, with Telegram restoring the app within hours and Russia pursuing Durov in separate matters.