The app was removed and reinstated on the same day after Telegram deleted the offending content and banned the user responsible for posting it.

An Apple spokesperson said the company suspended Telegram after identifying material that violated its App Store guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse content.

“The app was subsequently restored after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it,” the spokesperson said.

The incident marks the second time Apple has temporarily removed Telegram from its App Store. In 2018, the platform was briefly suspended over what Telegram founder Pavel Durov described at the time as “inappropriate content” before stronger moderation safeguards were introduced.

Telegram, which has more than one billion monthly active users, reiterated that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy on child sexual abuse material.

The company said it has blocked nearly 338,000 groups and channels linked to such content so far this year.

Responding to Apple’s explanation, Telegram posted on X that it hoped the same standard would be applied consistently to all messaging platforms available on the App Store.

The incident also drew criticism from Epic Games Chief Executive Officer Tim Sweeney, who questioned whether removing an entire communications platform because of content posted by a single user set a workable precedent.

“Apple has stated they removed the app from availability to a billion users because a Telegram user posted something horrible and illegal,” Sweeney wrote on X.

“They did not elaborate on how, if that is the standard for app removal, any communications app could operate at scale, including iMessage.”

Apple declined further comment on the decision.

Telegram has faced increasing regulatory scrutiny over its handling of illegal content.

In April, Britain’s communications regulator, Ofcom, opened an investigation into allegations that child sexual abuse material had been shared on the platform. Telegram denied the allegations, saying it had “virtually eliminated” the public distribution of such material since 2018 through automated detection systems.

Earlier this year, Australia’s online safety regulator also fined Telegram for delaying responses to inquiries regarding measures to combat child sexual abuse material and violent extremist content on the platform.

The post Apple Restores Telegram After Brief Global App Store Removal appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The Delhi High Court on Friday rejected Telegram’s attempt to overturn the order, which blocks access to the platform from June 16 to June 22.

The temporary ban was introduced after the results of India’s National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) were scrapped amid allegations that examination papers had been leaked. Authorities argued that Telegram channels were being used to distribute fake exam papers and spread misinformation ahead of a planned re-examination.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Tejas Karia said the government was legally empowered to issue directions blocking public access to Telegram.

The decision has sparked debate in India, with digital rights groups warning that it could strengthen government powers to restrict access to online platforms.

The Internet Freedom Foundation criticised the ruling, saying it established a concerning precedent with implications for online freedom beyond the current case.

Government lawyers argued that Telegram presented unique enforcement challenges due to features that allow blocked channels to be recreated easily and enable users to conceal identities through usernames and hidden phone numbers.

Telegram, which has more than 150 million users in India and counts the country as its largest market, did not immediately comment on the verdict.

Founder Pavel Durov has previously criticised the ban, arguing that it punishes legitimate users while failing to eliminate exam-related leaks.

The temporary restriction was implemented rapidly by telecom operators and technology companies, including Google and Apple, resulting in Telegram being removed from app stores and becoming inaccessible across the country.

The case represents one of the most prominent legal disputes involving a global technology platform and the government of Narendra Modi this year.

The post Indian court upholds temporary Telegram ban over medical exam concerns appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The company filed its challenge before the Delhi High Court after Indian authorities imposed a nationwide restriction on Telegram until June 22 as part of efforts to curb exam-related fraud.

The temporary ban took effect on Tuesday following concerns that channels on the platform were claiming to possess examination papers ahead of a rescheduled national medical entrance examination. The test had previously been cancelled after allegations of widespread paper leaks affecting millions of candidates.

In a nearly 200-page court filing seen by Reuters, Telegram argued that blocking an entire platform because of the actions of a subset of users sets a dangerous precedent.

“Such an approach, if upheld, would enable indiscriminate suspension of digital platforms, severely undermining constitutional protections of free speech and access to information,” the company stated.

Telegram further argued that the government’s order was based on the flawed assumption that misuse by some users justifies restricting access for millions of legitimate users.

The matter came before the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, where both parties briefly presented arguments. India’s Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, requested an adjournment until Thursday to allow the government to formally respond to Telegram’s claims, a request the court granted.

Mehta said authorities have repeatedly urged Telegram to strengthen its systems and address concerns about misuse of the platform.

The temporary ban remains in effect pending further proceedings.

The post Telegram Challenges India’s Temporary Ban in Court appeared first on Tech Digest News.

The directive was issued by India’s National Testing Agency (NTA), which administers the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET-UG), one of the country’s most competitive examinations.

According to the agency, the restriction is aimed at preventing cheating syndicates from using Telegram to sell fake examination papers and spread misinformation before the June 21 re-test.

The order includes a temporary suspension of Telegram services until June 22, one day after the examination, and a request for the platform to disable its message-editing feature until June 30.

The NTA argued that the editing feature has been used in the past to fabricate evidence of examination paper leaks after tests have already been conducted.

“Both measures have been taken in the interest of public order, in response to the organized use of the platform by cheating rackets to defraud candidates appearing for the NEET (UG) 2026 re-examination,” the agency said.

The directive was issued under Section 69A of India’s Information Technology Act, which provides the legal framework for blocking online services and content.

The move has drawn criticism from digital rights advocates.

The Internet Freedom Foundation described the decision as a disproportionate response to examination fraud and questioned whether the law permits authorities to block an entire platform rather than targeting specific content.

“Shutting down Telegram is a band-aid solution and a disproportionate answer to exam fraud,” the organisation said in a statement.

The re-test follows a major paper leak scandal that affected the NEET examination last month, prompting a federal investigation and renewed scrutiny of India’s examination system.

Authorities have since introduced additional measures aimed at strengthening examination security.

India is Telegram’s largest market by downloads, making the proposed restriction one of the most significant actions taken against the platform globally.

However, Telegram remained accessible across India at the time of reporting, and its message-editing feature appeared to be functioning normally.

Neither Telegram nor India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology immediately responded to requests for comment.

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Russia’s state communications regulator imposed restrictions on Telegram, citing the company’s alleged failure to remove extremist content. Digital Development Minister Maksud Shadayev claimed that foreign intelligence could monitor communications between Russian troops.

In response, Telegram said in a statement to Reuters: “No breaches of Telegram’s encryption have ever been found. The Russian government’s allegation that our encryption has been compromised is a deliberate fabrication intended to justify outlawing Telegram and forcing citizens onto a state-controlled messaging platform engineered for mass surveillance and censorship.”

Russian authorities have also restricted other foreign messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and FaceTime, urging citizens to switch to a state-backed app called MAX.

The post Telegram Dismisses Russian Allegations Over Encryption appeared first on Tech Digest News.

Durov, who is under judicial supervision in France following his 2024 arrest at a Paris airport, made the allegation on Sunday as Moldova held a parliamentary election that could shape the country’s European Union ambitions.

He claimed that French intelligence approached him while he was in Paris, asking him to take down several channels for the Moldovan government. While he said he removed some channels that violated Telegram’s rules, Durov described the offer as “unacceptable.”

“If the agency did in fact approach the judge — it constituted an attempt to interfere in the judicial process. If it did not, and merely claimed to have done so, then it was exploiting my legal situation in France to influence political developments in Eastern Europe,” Durov said.

The French foreign ministry dismissed his remarks, noting that Durov had made similar accusations about France interfering in Romanian politics earlier this year. At the time, France’s foreign intelligence agency, DGSE, denied his claims.

Durov, who founded Telegram after leaving Russia in 2014 for refusing to shut down opposition communities on his VKontakte platform, has consistently denied wrongdoing. Telegram, with more than one billion monthly active users, is widely used across former Soviet states, including Russia and Ukraine.

The post Telegram Founder Alleges French Intelligence Sought Censorship Deal appeared first on Tech Digest News.

Messaging platform Telegram has announced it blocked 15.4 million groups and channels in 2024 as part of its intensified efforts to combat harmful content, including fraud, terrorism, and Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). The company revealed these details through a newly launched moderation page aimed at increasing transparency around its content moderation practices.

This crackdown comes amid heightened scrutiny of the platform following the arrest of Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov, in France. Durov was detained on August 24, 2024, upon arriving for a dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.

He was charged with failing to adequately moderate extremist and illegal content, which authorities claim has turned Telegram into a hub for terrorists and drug traffickers. The case is still ongoing, but Durov has been granted conditional release on €5 million bail and must remain in France, reporting to the police twice weekly.

Telegram credits its recent progress to the deployment of advanced AI moderation tools, which have enabled the removal of millions of pieces of harmful content. The platform revealed that it now blocks tens of thousands of groups and channels daily for violating its Terms of Service, particularly materials that promote violence, terrorism, or illegal trade.

The company highlighted its zero-tolerance stance on CSAM, disclosing that 705,688 groups and channels related to such content were blocked in 2024 alone.

“Since 2018, public images have been automatically checked against a hash database of CSAM banned by our moderators over the past decade. In 2024, we expanded this database with hashes from organizations like the Internet Watch Foundation,” Telegram said.

Daily transparency reports on CSAM removal have now been added as a core aspect of Telegram’s fight against such content.

In its battle against terrorism, Telegram reported the blocking of 129,986 terrorist-related communities in 2024. The platform emphasized its collaboration with organizations such as ETIDAL, the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology.

“Through its collaboration with ETIDAL alone, Telegram’s moderators have removed over 100 million pieces of terrorist content,” the company stated.

Following his release, Pavel Durov addressed the platform’s content moderation challenges, acknowledging Telegram’s efforts to comply with regulations, including having a European Union compliance officer overseeing its adherence to EU laws. However, he criticized attempts to hold tech founders responsible for user actions as a “misguided” approach.

Telegram’s crackdown reflects the company’s ongoing struggle to balance user freedom with regulatory demands as it serves a growing user base of over 900 million globally. Despite its recent efforts, the platform remains at the center of controversy surrounding its role in managing harmful and illegal content.

The post Telegram Blocks 15.4 Million Groups, Channels in 2024 Amid Crackdown on Harmful Content appeared first on Tech Digest News.

Telegram recently announced its plans to roll out an advertising platform in March 2024, offering channel owners the opportunity to gain financial rewards.

The CEO and founder, Pavel Durov, said in a statement via his Telegram channel that the rewards will be distributed in toncoin on the TON blockchain.

The social media platform currently has more than 800 million monthly active users around the world.

The CEO revealed that under this system, channel owners will receive 50 per cent of the revenue generated from ads displayed in their channels.

He said that despite the one trillion monthly views on broadcast channels, only 10 per cent of these views are currently monetized through Telegram Ads, the platform’s promotional tool.

The statement reads, “Next month, channel owners on Telegram can start receiving financial rewards from their work.

“Broadcast channels on Telegram generate 1 trillion views monthly. Currently, only 10 per cent of these views are monetized with Telegram Ads, a promotion tool designed with privacy in mind.

“In March, the Telegram Ad Platform will officially open to all advertisers in nearly a hundred new countries. Channel owners in these countries will start receiving 50 per cent of any revenue that Telegram makes from displaying ads in their channels.

“To ensure ad payments and withdrawals are fast and secure, we will exclusively use the TON blockchain. Similar to our approach with Telegram usernames on Fragment, we will sell ads and share revenue with channel owners in Toncoin.

“This will create a virtuous circle, in which content creators will be able to either cash out their Toncoins, or reinvest them in promoting and upgrading their channels.”

Telegram’s announcement places it in the company of major platforms like Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and X (previously Twitter), all of which provide users with ad revenue-sharing opportunities.

In July 2022, Meta, formerly Facebook, introduced Music Revenue Sharing, enabling creators to monetize videos featuring licenced music.

Creators can earn a 20 per cent revenue share on eligible videos, with the remaining portion going to music rights holders and Meta.

The post Telegram to commence ad revenue sharing using toncoin appeared first on Tech Digest News.

TECHDIGEST – Somalia’s government has banned social media sites TikTok and Telegram, as well as an online betting app, claiming that they were being used by “terrorists” to promote propaganda.

The move comes ahead of the much-anticipated second phase of a military offensive against Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group that has waged a brutal insurgency against Mogadishu’s central authority for more than 15 years.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Communications and Technology ordered internet service providers to enforce the ban by August 24 or risk unspecified legal action.

It partly read, “In a bid to accelerate the war and elimination of the terrorists who have shed the blood of the Somali people, the minister of communication and technology instructs companies that provide internet services to suspend TikTok, Telegram, and 1XBET betting applications, which terrorists and groups responsible for spreading immorality use to spread graphic clips and photos and mislead society.”

Since August of last year, the army has been launching an attack against the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab in central Somalia, teaming forces with local clan militias in an operation backed by African Union troops and US air strikes.

Despite the government offensive, al-Shabaab fighters still control large swaths of the countryside and continue to carry out deadly attacks on civilian, political, and military targets.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has vowed to clear the unstable Horn of Africa country of jihadists, and a second phase of the attack against them in southern Somalia is scheduled to be announced soon.

AFP

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TECH DIGEST- A newly discovered cybersecurity threat has sent a warning to Android users, urging them to immediately remove a specific app from their devices. This app, known as SafeChat, has managed to infiltrate the Google Play Store with sophisticated communications-stealing malware.

Despite its removal from the online store, the malware remains active on previously downloaded devices, silently harvesting sensitive data from popular messaging platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram.

READ ALSO: WhatsApp Unveils Seamless Video Messaging

According to reports from cybersecurity firm Cyfirma, the malware exhibits similar tactics to previous bugs but possesses a more dangerous capability to acquire extensive permissions, making it a potent threat to users’ digital privacy. Operated by the hacking group ‘Bahamut,’ this app utilizes spyware technology to compromise text messages, call logs, and GPS locations.

Originating in India and established in 2017, the Bahamut group has a track record of targeting various operating systems, including iOS, Android, and Windows. Immediate action is advised to safeguard personal information and prevent further unauthorized access.

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