New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- Telegram CEO Pavel Durov accused a "takedown extortionist" of targeting the messaging platform after its brief removal from Apple's App Store, while asserting that the attacker inserted AI-modified illegal content by editing an old message in an active group chat.

In a lengthy social media post, Durov said Telegram's extensive moderation tools enable it to quickly remove illegal content from public groups, forcing the attacker to resort to a technical workaround.

"The attacker was a takedown extortionist: someone who demands ransom from group owners in exchange for not targeting their communities. These extortionists use automated accounts to plant illegal content in public groups and then report it directly to Appl...