Today Telegram CEO and founder, Pavel Durov, announced that Apple would be taking the Telegram app off of the iOS App Store because it violated Apple's guidelines.
New versions are available now on iOS App Store and Google Play Store.
http://moce.ir/core/uppic.php?id=574463
Pavel commented on twitter, "We were alerted by Apple that inappropriate content was made available to our users and both apps were taken off the App Store. Once we have protections in place we expect the apps to be back on the App Store."
The Apple guidelines that Telegram were in question of breaking : "apps should not include content that is offensive, insensitive, upsetting, intended to disgust or in exceptionally poor taste."
Interestingly, the app is still available through Google Play Store and can be downloaded on the Mac App Store.
Telegram announced after a short time off of iOS, two new apps: Telegram X for iOS and Telegram X for Google...with no mention in the press release of any revisions made about security, rather focusing on functionality and aesthetic. Strange.
Governments have had a difficult time monitoring safety while people secretly and "encryptedly" organize protests and hold secret encrypted meetings. But don't most governments also hold secret and non disclosed meetings themselves? Hmm. Iran has even blocked the use of Telegram completely in concern of exactly these kind of meetings and organizations. Its an ethics and right to privacy question...
There are legitimate concerns about trafficking and pedophilia and guns- I'm interested to see what Telegram works out.
Refs:
https://twitter.com/durov?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2018/02/01/apple-removes-secretive-telegram-messaging-app-app-store/1086302001/
Thank you for such a concise and well-written article about the event. It's unfortunate, but I believe that Telegram handled the situation very professionally.
Anyway, I also wrote a similar article documenting the incident, feel free to check it out and leave an upvote! Thank you!
https://steemit.com/telegram/@stevensteel/apple-bans-telegram-breaking-news