Telegram was subject to a "takedown extortionist" who planted AI-modified child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to get Apple to remove the app from the App Store, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov said today. Apple removed Telegram from the App Store for about 40 minutes on Monday night after discovering CSAM, but reinstated the app after Telegram removed the content.

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 Apple, attempting to trigger the removal of legitimate communities whose owners refused to pay them.

Durov said the attacker used a "technical trick" to evade moderation tools, editing an old message in an active group chat to add illegal content. The attacker was able to bypass moderation because group members didn't see the message to report it. Durov said illegal pornographic content in public groups is not a systemic problem because Telegram has effective moderation, and this was an edge case where an attacker used "backdated, effectively invisible content."

Apple pulled Telegram from the ‌App Store‌ before contacting the company, according to Durov. He said Apple was manipulated into overreacting, and he warned of a "potential systemic risk for every mobile app that hosts user-generated content."

After removing Telegram from the ‌App Store‌, Apple said a content review found child sexual abuse material that violated the ‌App Store‌ guidelines. Apple further said Telegram "promptly removed the content and banned the user," leading to the app's return to the ‌App Store‌. Apple has not commented on Durov's extortionist claim.
This article, "Telegram CEO Says Extortionist Manipulated Apple Into App Store Removal" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple limited the number of vulnerabilities security researchers can submit to its bug bounty program because of an uptick in reports about fake bugs hallucinated by AI, according to The Financial Times.


Apple said its bug review system was seeing a high volume of poor-quality submissions from amateur bug hunters using AI to locate vulnerabilities. In some cases, there is no actual vulnerability, and real submissions are lost in the deluge.

The Financial Times learned of the limit after cybersecurity startup Bynario used ChatGPT to locate more than 50 macOS bugs in three weeks. Bynario found a privilege escalation exploit that could let an attacker get unrestricted access to a Mac, but was unable to report it because Apple limited the number of bug reports Bynario could submit. Bynario sent eight reports to Apple in 2025, and another five in 2026 before hitting a restriction.

Bynario's founder said it is a "very difficult time in the industry" because companies are being "flooded by the sheer amount of bugs." Apple has since been in contact with Bynario and is reviewing the company's submissions.

While Apple now has a cap on the number of open submissions a researcher can have, researchers can request an increase to make sure Apple's security team doesn't miss a critical vulnerability.

AI has overwhelmed Apple because it primarily uses humans to check reports, but Apple too has turned to AI for parsing submissions. AI has also helped Apple find a huge number of bugs. Apple's recent iOS 26.6 update fixes almost 90 security vulnerabilities, some of which are credited to Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's Codex Security.

Apple's bug bounty program offers rewards up to $2 million for exploit chains used for sophisticated, real-world attacks, plus bonuses that can increase rewards to over $5 million. Apple boosts reward totals for bugs found in betas and for bugs that bypass Lockdown Mode.
This article, "Apple Limits Bug Bounty Submissions After Flood of AI Slop" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple today released a fourth version of the beta firmware it is testing for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, and AirPods Max 2. The firmware is available for developers and has a build number of 9A5336b.


In iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS Golden Gate, Apple is adding a new AirPods interface, a slider for Adaptive mode, and support for custom EQ, so the firmware adds support for those features. AirPods are also compatible with the new Siri AI.

When the AirPods are connected to an iPhone, iPad, or Mac running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 or later, there is a beta firmware option that can be accessed in the AirPods settings interface. Toggling on beta updates allows users to install the beta firmware.

Firmware updates can be downloaded by connecting the AirPods to an Apple device and connecting them to power. It can take a few hours for new firmware to be installed because there is no software update option like there is for other Apple devices.
This article, "Apple Releases New AirPods Beta Firmware With iOS 27 Features" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is getting ready for its big September iPhone event, which is expected to see the debut of the iPhone 18 Pro, ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max, and an all-new foldable iPhone.


Ahead of the event, Apple is holding an Event Support Experience Program lottery for U.S. retail employees who want to travel to its Apple Park campus to staff the in-person media gathering. According to Bloomberg, Apple will bring in employees to organize lines, check in guests, offer directions, greet attendees, and support security teams.

Employees were told the iPhone event will take place during the first half of September, but Apple declined to offer more specific information. It's likely Apple will hold its event on Tuesday, September 8 or Wednesday, September 9. September 7 is Labor Day and Apple often gives members of the media a day to travel, so September 9 could be the target date this year.

Apple presumably pays for travel and lodging for employees who are invited to ‌Apple Park‌ to work the media event. Retail workers who were at the Worldwide Developers Conference or the iPhone launch in 2025 are not eligible to enter the lottery. Employees can enter the lottery until August 8, and Apple plans to notify winners on August 17.
This article, "Apple Starts Preparing for September iPhone Event" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Apple is working on a new feature that will support cross-device copy and paste between iOS devices and Windows PCs.


Microsoft asked for the feature using Apple's EU interoperability request system for developers, which Apple implemented to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Apple began evaluating the request in March, and on June 26, proposed a project plan.

Microsoft described how the feature would be used:

• Copy text or other supported content on their iPhone and paste it directly on their Windows PC, and vice versa.


• Perform common productivity workflows without needing to foreground an app or take explicit repeated actions to initiate a transfer.


• Experience clipboard synchronization as a lightweight, continuous capability rather than a manual, app-driven operation.

Apple proposed a solution that would let an iPhone share and import items from the pasteboard to a paired accessory, like a Windows PC. Apple plans to use a solution similar to the Accessory Notifications option it added for third-party wearables in the EU in iOS 26.5. Users would need to give a paired device one-time permission to paste content from an iPhone.

To adopt this solution, you will need to adopt AccessorySetupKit in order for the user to consent to the necessary permissions allowing the pasteboard to be shared with your accessory. This solution will require the user to perform a one-time consent to sharing the pasteboard with each paired accessory that will receive this functionality.

Right now, an app can only read an iPhone's clipboard if the app is actively running in the foreground and the user grants clipboard access with each copy/paste action. For its own devices, Apple has a Universal Clipboard feature with cross-device copy and paste between iOS and macOS.

Microsoft complained that the clipboard restrictions imposed on apps prevent the continuous synchronization of clipboard content from an iPhone to a PC or other connected device in the background.

Apple says introducing cross-device copy and paste is a significant engineering effort, with work expected to be complete by fall 2027. It will be shipped first in a developer beta for testing ahead of a public release. If the feature is added toward the end of fall 2027, it could be early 2028 before the public gets access.

It is likely that cross-device copy and paste will be limited to iPhone and Windows users in the European Union, though it is possible Apple could implement it worldwide.

Apple has brought some features it was required to support under the DMA to all countries, like eSIM transfers from iPhone to Android and simpler data transfers when switching between Android devices and iPhones. Other features, like AirPods-style pairing and notification forwarding for third-party wearables, have only rolled out in the EU.
This article, "Apple Plans iPhone-to-Windows Copy and Paste in EU After Microsoft Request" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Ted Lasso season four is set to premiere Wednesday, and to celebrate the debut, Apple is hosting a Ted Lasso look-alike contest in New York.


"Think you have the stache to make fans believe? Join the fun this August 6 at Apple Fifth Avenue Plaza for a Ted Lasso Look-Alike contest," reads Apple's Facebook event page. Apple has a set of contest rules instructing participants to visit Apple Fifth Avenue to be judged on "the degree to which they look and act like the character Ted Lasso."

There will be a three-round contest with eliminations in each round. Ten semifinalists will be selected after round one, five finalists will make it past round two, and three finalists will be selected in round three. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and runs until 7:00 p.m.

• Round One, Ted Energy - Contestants have to introduce themselves in character and have a two-minute dance break. Judging will be based on optimism, posture, and presence, along with costume commitment and participation level.


• Round Two, Head Coach - Semifinalists will participate in a trivia game and will be judged on the level to which each participant embraces the Ted Lasso character. The round will be judged on trivia results, costume commitment, mustache authenticity (Apple says 'stick-ons OK; real grows extra credit'), and The Believe Factor (something unique and special).


• Round Three, Ted Talk - Each remaining contestant will present a 30- to 45-second pep talk to the crowd. It will be judged on how moved the crowd is, costume commitment, and Ted Energy.

A first-place winner will receive custom Beats headphones and a custom soccer scarf, while the two runners-up will get the scarf alone. Full rules are on Apple's site for the event.


Season four of Ted Lasso will premiere on Wednesday, August 5, and it has 10 total episodes. One episode will be released every Wednesday through October 7. In the new season, Lasso returns to Richmond to coach a second-division women's soccer team. Ted Lasso favorites including Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift will star in the series.
This article, "Apple Will Judge Your Mustache Authenticity at Its Ted Lasso Look-Alike Contest" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums