Telegram CEO Says Apple Has Been 'Preventing' iOS App Updates Since Russia's Ban in April

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

Telegram was already in trouble for facilitating child abuser and extremist networks.

We keep seeing these 'tech companies' who think they have a tech solution for everything and all they bring is more chaos and distraction. The real solution we need is to double down on being human, being physically social and participating in our communities.

 

[Sasparilla]

We have to wait to see what's going on. Not expecting Apple to just do what Putin wants here, guessing there is some other reason, but Apple needs to get on the stick and tell us.

If it turns out Apple is just doing Putin's bidding - it'll be a huge downfall for Apple in the eyes of its customers.

 

[BeefCake 15]

Unless iMessage is blocked in Russia, why would anyone need to use Telegram?... unless iMessage really isn't unbreakably encrypted as Apple claims it to be.

Signal is alive and kicking too...something is fishy from Telegram.

 

[WaruiKoohii]

Telegram was already in trouble for facilitating child abuser and extremist networks.

We keep seeing these 'tech companies' who think they have a tech solution for everything and all they bring is more chaos and distraction. The real solution we need is to double down on being human, being physically social and participating in our communities.

There's not really much you can do about undesirable chatrooms until they're reported. Not really sure what else you want Telegram to do here.

 

[macfacts]

There's not really much you can do about undesirable chatrooms until they're reported. Not really sure what else you want Telegram to do here.

Chatrooms? Are these public chatrooms? Maybe that is why it got banned from the app store, hosting illegal chatrooms.

 

[Defthand]

I love Telegram and use it to talk to people even though they have iMessage. It's just so much nicer.

I’m curious. I assume if you send a Telegram message to someone who doesn’t have Telegram installed, it defaults to an ordinary SMS message, no?
[doublepost=1527799923][/doublepost]

We keep seeing these 'tech companies' who think they have a tech solution for everything and all they bring is more chaos and distraction.

Amen, brother. It’s like the Dawes’s song When My Time Comes says, “When you make something new, you break something else.”

 

[WaruiKoohii]

I’m curious. I assume if you send a Telegram message to someone who doesn’t have Telegram installed, it defaults to an ordinary SMS message, no?

No, Telegram is an IM service. You cannot send a Telegram message to someone who doesn't have a Telegram account.
[doublepost=1527803028][/doublepost]

Chatrooms? Are these public chatrooms? Maybe that is why it got banned from the app store, hosting illegal chatrooms.

Do you not know what Telegram is? Yes you can have public or private chatrooms on it.

How do you propose that an IM service prevent people from making chatrooms about certain subjects?

Perhaps Apple should remove Safari, iMessage, and the Phone app for providing access to illegal content.

 

[macfacts]

No, Telegram is an IM service. You cannot send a Telegram message to someone who doesn't have a Telegram account.
[doublepost=1527803028][/doublepost]
Do you not know what Telegram is? Yes you can have public or private chatrooms on it.

How do you propose that an IM service prevent people from making chatrooms about certain subjects?

Perhaps Apple should remove Safari, iMessage, and the Phone app for providing access to illegal content.

Sms group chat, iMessage, and WhatsApp don't have public chat rooms.

 

[Dorje Sylas]

Wonder what the Apple response will be ...

Something something corporate spin, something vague rules cite, something our walled garden, something.

 

[ikir]

Apple has been creating a lot of negative press with App developers (Steam and now Telegram). As an app developer, why should I continue putting my trust in Apple and not just focus solely on Android? If enough developers do this, you'll have an app less platform. How well did that work out for Windows Phone?

Are you joking right? If you are serious you are not a dev at all

@Thread
The problem here is Russia not Telegram or Apple. Apple maybe be forced to do this or waiting for things to resolve, you don't know what is happening behind. Is very easy to blame Apple (not referring to Durov but to users) or another company, without knowing facts.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

I'm wondering about his ambiguous use of the word "globally." Is he stating that he can't update the app universally in all territories including Russia simultaneously or that he can't update in any territory anywhere in the world? If it's the former and he's implying the latter that's underhanded.

 

[zorinlynx]

Are you joking right? If you are serious you are not a dev at all

@Thread
The problem here is Russia not Telegram or Apple. Apple maybe be forced to do this or waiting for things to resolve, you don't know what is happening behind. Is very easy to blame Apple (not referring to Durov but to users) or another company, without knowing facts.

The very least Apple can do is allow a bugfix release through while these things are being "resolved".

Telegram is still up and running, people can still download and install the app; the issue is that the stickers feature doesn't work right in iOS 11.4. This is an optional feature, people can still communicate with the app. Allowing a bugfix release for this would not in any way change the status quo, and it would give Apple, Telegram and Russia time to work things out.

 

[Eraserhead]

im sure if Telegram unchecked Russia from the app store, they can continue updating. blame russia, not apple.

Sounds like exactly the problem.

 

[Doc C]

There is likely a whole lot more going on than is being reported.

If Russian authorities have chosen to make an example of Telegram, then there aren’t a whole lot of limits to what they could do (this is true of any government).

For example, could the Kremlin have effectively said that they won’t allow any Apple apps to work if they don’t force Telegram to give up the keys? They wouldn’t even have to do anything more than threaten to impose a huge tax on sales on the Russian App Store.

I’m sure that if the full story could be reported, it would turn out to be a little of this and a little of that and a whole lot of political posturing.

 

[Futurix]

How does this make sense? Telegram has been in the app store with no issues for quite some time. Now, all of a sudden, they are violating some app store guidelines... guidelines they've been following all along?

When apps introduce new features or change their code in other ways, they can ran afoul of app store rules (incorrect use of new APIs, UI changes, etc). We have no idea what features Telegram tried to add or whether they followed the guidelines.
[doublepost=1527819703][/doublepost]

sure . the only important thing for Apple is $ . have you heard about Apple in China? Apple is just talking bullsh*t about freedom of speech etc., but they are able to forget everything they say for the sake of $ and possibility of losing a market.

Russia is not an important market for Apple, and considering US and EU sanctions probably also an inconvenient market.

 

[fairuz]

I don't really care. There's no reason and no excuse for the homebrewed encryption algorithm this app uses. Just smells like backdoors.

It also sucks in general. I encountered so many bugs that I wanted to not use it.

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

He continued by stating, "Unfortunately, Apple didn't side with us." The CEO says Apple's restricting of Telegram dates back to mid-April and while Russia represents a small subset of its user base (7 percent), Apple's actions affect all Telegram users around the world. Because of this, the launch of iOS 11.4 on Tuesday has broken some Telegram features like stickers, and caused the company to miss its deadline for compliance with the GDPR for users in the European Union.

Why adhere to the EU's regulatory actions but not Russia's?

 

[fairuz]

sure . the only important thing for Apple is $ . have you heard about Apple in China? Apple is just talking bullsh*t about freedom of speech etc., but they are able to forget everything they say for the sake of $ and possibility of losing a market.

The common explanation for this is something like "you can't push for change if you aren't at the table." Pulling out of China will not help freedom of speech, just let some Chinese company take the position.
[doublepost=1527820985][/doublepost]

Telegram was already in trouble for facilitating child abuser and extremist networks.

We keep seeing these 'tech companies' who think they have a tech solution for everything and all they bring is more chaos and distraction. The real solution we need is to double down on being human, being physically social and participating in our communities.

Easy to say when you live in a free country like the US, not somewhere like Russia, UK, or China where you can be legally persecuted for innocent speech. Also, criminals can always find a way to be secret, just like they can always find firearms and ways around DRM.

 

[pratikindia]

Apple has removed numerous apps from Chinese App Store in the past bending to China CCP. They will bend to Russians.

 

[69Mustang]

When apps introduce new features or change their code in other ways, they can ran afoul of app store rules (incorrect use of new APIs, UI changes, etc). We have no idea what features Telegram tried to add or whether they followed the guidelines.

You're right. We don't know. But you somehow managed to create a scenario where Telegram broke app store rules. You also managed to ignore how issues are resolved. If you break an app store rule, Apple tells you which rule you broke. Are you saying Telegram was so egregious Apple ceased communication? They've ignored Telegram's attempts at updating the app? Sounds like a legit scenario that could happen.

As I said before, we don't know who's to blame. Regardless where fault lies, your scenario doesn't pass scrutiny.

 

[fairuz]

Why adhere to the EU's regulatory actions but not Russia's?

Sad thing is I'm not even sure which one I prefer.

 

[Superhai]

Sad thing is I'm not even sure which one I prefer.

One give people rights, the other takes them away. Should be a no-brainer, no?

 

[FrankieTDouglas]

One give people rights, the other takes them away. Should be a no-brainer, no?

Which is which?

 

[flyinmac]

I'm sorry that Telegram lost their presence in Russia. I do stand by their firm action by refusing the decryption key though. Their users have the right to their privacy. Unfortunately it's not up to Apple to side with Telegram. If they want to do business in Russia, they have to comply with the government's order, as mush as they have to comply with US government's orders when it comes to governing the United States. I don't think we should blame Apple for the app removal or rejection to updates. But I do agree that they should allow updates/app globally and remove only in Russia.

Trying to remember when Apple obeyed an order from any branch of United States government regarding user privacy.

Unless they do it behind closed doors while publicly claiming to fight for our privacy.

I do see and understand the rationale provided as to why Apple’s iMessage may not be subjected to the Russian government order. But I find it highly unlikely that Russia would order Apple to disable one secure App on iOS without ordering the built-in app to have its security bypassed as well.

I would be more likely to believe that Apple has provided less security in iMessage to enable operation in Russia.

It just logically doesn’t make sense that they wouldn’t care about the primary iOS App if they cared about the other App.

I read the comments about iOS allegedly only being 8% of the market so they wouldn’t care about iMessage. But, if applied, the same logic would say that then Russia is still only unable to access 8% of the market if iOS users are using Telegram.

If they care about 8%, they probably care about the whole 8%.

 

[Superhai]

Which is which?

I'll let you make up your mind yourself. But Russias regulatory action forbids people to use Telegram. EU requires businesses etc to ask permission of and disclose their use of peoples private information.