Telegram was subject to a "takedown extortionist" who planted AI-modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to get Apple to remove the app from the App Store, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said today. Apple removed Telegram from the App Store for about 40 minutes on Monday night after discovering CSAM, but reinstated the app after Telegram removed the content. Apple pulled Telegram from the ‌App Store‌ before contacting the company, according to Durov. After removing Telegram from the ‌App Store‌, Apple said a content review found child sexual abuse material that violated the ‌App Store‌ guidelines. Apple further said Telegram "promptly removed the content and banned the user," leading to the app's return to the ‌App Store‌.