Telegram today received its first update in two months after an App Store update lockout caused by a dispute with the Russian government and Apple.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov yesterday explained that Apple had been blocking updates to the Telegram app on a worldwide scale since April, when the Telegram app was banned in Russia.
As back story, Russia in April banned Telegram because Telegram refused to allow government officials in the country to have backdoor access to the content of user messages. Russia's ban attempt was not entirely successful, leading Russia to demand that Apple remove Telegram from the Russian App Store.
Amid this dispute, Apple was apparently refusing all Telegram app updates dating back to mid-April. This situation caused certain Telegram features, like stickers, to break with the launch of iOS 11.4, and it prevented Telegram from complying with new GDPR rules in the European Union. From Durov's statement yesterday:
While Russia makes up only 7% of Telegram's userbase, Apple is restricting updates for all Telegram users around the world since mid-April. As a result, we've also been unable to fully comply with GDPR for our EU-users by the deadline of May 25, 2018. We are continuing our efforts to resolve the situation and will keep you updated.
Apple appears to have reversed its position on Telegram updates, and Telegram 4.8.2 is now available in the iOS App Store. The update includes a new registration process for the EU and UK along with some other small changes to the app.
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Top Rated Comments
Apple is not supposed to do this! It’s the most basic part of a business relationship - only devs should get the rejection reasons.
Otherwise we’d probably hear something along the lines of ‘Telegram developers are *****’. And even if that would have helped Apple PR-wise, they know better than break confidentiality.
Most likely the bad publicity led Apple to tell Telegram’s developers how to fix their app to get it past the review process.
Apple follows the local law - hence in US it is subject to sanctions on Iran and in China it is subject to VPN ban.
If you an advanced user, you can sideload on iOS as well.
When people jump to the least likely conclusion of some hidden conspiracy by Apple - yes, that’s who they are.
Open to what? To ‘let’s assume the worst’ mindset?
In fact, Telegram devs themselves spoken of multiple updates being rejected. And they have a history of seeing persecution everywhere.
No credit here - there’s plenty of criticism of their work, including their cryptography. And it takes one bad hire to screw up the app.
Oh, here we go.
Just a clarification - I’m Russian myself, living in the West, rather anti-Putin and anti-current regime.
However that also means that I know enough about Durov and his company to be sceptical about their statements on Apple.
[doublepost=1527939723][/doublepost]Maybe google it first then? Both of those things are facts.
Also, a couple of points:
- Apple has to obey the local laws - no matter how ****** they are.
- US sanctions on Iran apply to entire country, not just the government.
Being a native doesn't necessarily impart insider knowledge. Do you know more about the CEO of AT&T than someone from Canada? Any insights into the Walmart E-Suite that a Mexican wouldn't have? How do you feel about the activity of Bank of America's CEO? An inquiring mind from Australia wants to know.:D
Being from Russia gives no more insight than being from Georgia would give me insight into the peach industry.:) Futurix's supposition about what happened between Apple and Telegram is just that, supposition. He has a bias towards defending Apple. There's nothing wrong with that. He has no more insight that you, me, or the guy selling bags of oranges by the freeway off ramp.