A guide on what to do if Apple removes Telegram messenger from its App Store has been spreading on social media recently. We figured out what this guide is and whether Apple can really remove the messenger from its App Store.
What happened?
Over the past few days, users of social networks and Telegram channels have been spreading instructions and guides on how to “save” Telegram on their iPhone if Apple removes the application from the App Store. It looks something like this:
A guide on how to prevent Apple from deleting the Telegram application on your device:
- Open Settings → Screen Time → Content & Privacy Restrictions → iTunes & App Store Purchases → Don’t allow Deleting Apps
What is this guide?
The guide says that the user should go to Settings and disable automatic offloading of the apps on one’s iPhone, and then Apple will allegedly not be able to uninstall the Telegram app.
This is not how it actually works. We draw your attention to the fact that this guide will not be able to help the user, since the item about deleting apps in the privacy settings on iPhone smartphones prohibits the user from deleting apps, not Apple. This guide is related to parental control and is aimed to control children's devices. If you change your smartphone or restore data from a backup, the application may disappear altogether.
In fact, there are no obvious reasons for Telegram to be removed from the App Store. Unlike the American microblogging platform Parler, which was blocked by Apple because it refused to moderate and remove harmful or dangerous content encouraging violence and illegal activity, Telegram has strict moderation policies and rather quickly responds to complaints and requests to remove unwanted content related to terrorism, pedophilia, piracy, and so on.
The Internet Protocol
Can Apple remove apps from a smartphone?
Yes! The platform holder has the right to remove anything from the user's device – applications, contacts, content, etc. Apple or Google have complete control over user devices, and if they want to remove something, they will do this. As soon as a user connects to the Internet from his/her device, the company has full access to his/her data and phone. If you do not use the Internet, the company will not have access to it, but what do you need your device for, then?
