By Thomas Stevenson<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested at the Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday, according to French outlet TF1<\/a>, which cited an unnamed source. https:\/\/restoreprivacy.com\/secure-encrypted-messaging-apps\/telegram\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n By <\/em>Bill Mann<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today we\u2019re going to talk about Telegram. You can find lots of free messaging apps out there. However, finding a free messaging app that is also secure, and has enough users to make it worth using, is a lot harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This Telegram review is not going to cut any corners and we will review the good and the bad<\/strong> aspects of this service. While it may have some good privacy options, an investigation out of Germany concluded that Telegram shares data with governments<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Telegram is totally free and growing like crazy, we\u2019d recommend considering all your other options before signing up. In this new and updated Telegram review, we\u2019ll look at the privacy and security offered by the service to help you to decide if this is going to be a secure messaging app you should consider using.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we\u2019ll briefly touch on the main features of Telegram messenger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When using a secure messaging app, be sure to also use a good VPN<\/strong> to hide your IP address and secure your internet traffic. We use and recommend NordVPN<\/a><\/strong>, one of the top VPNs that has passed independent privacy and security audits. Here are some key features to consider when deciding whether Telegram is right for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this review, we downloaded and tested Telegram desktop and mobile apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram Messenger was created by brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov in 2013. With over 500 million active users<\/strong>, it is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world. The company is headquartered in London, with the development team based in Dubai. The company is funded through a donation by Pavel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram has a hybrid system for storing your data. By default<\/strong>, all your message data is stored on your devices<\/strong>. However, you can remove data from this local cache, and store it on Telegram\u2019s servers. This allows you to balance your desire for privacy against the need for data storage space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those Telegram servers are located throughout the world as part of a distributed network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram told us in an email that, \u201cMultiple researchers and security experts have analyzed Telegram\u2019s encryption.\u201d As an example, the provided a paper from two researchers in Italy who examined the MTProto 2.0, as you can see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nonetheless, we were not able to find any formal security audit or analysis that was conducted by a cybersecurity firm. This is in contrast to some of the other popular secure messenger services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we noted in both the Wire review<\/a> and the Signal review<\/a>, these encrypted messaging apps have undergone formal third-party audits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For purposes of this Telegram review, I used the Telegram mobile app for Android, along with the Windows Desktop app. Since Telegram focuses on the mobile experience and requires you to join the service using a mobile device before you can use a browser or Desktop app, we\u2019ll concentrate on the mobile side of things first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Installing Telegram on an Android phone involves downloading the app<\/strong> and registering your phone number<\/strong>. This is similar to Signal messenger, which also requires a phone number to use the service. You can either download the app from the Google Play store, or download the Android APK directly from the Telegram website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you finish installing and registering your account, you will be able to use the Telegram app to communicate with other Telegram users by text, voice, photos, video, group messaging, and channels (subscription broadcasts). File sharing is also supported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening the Telegram app shows you a list of your Telegram contacts. If you\u2019ve used any of the popular instant messaging apps, the interface should look familiar to you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tap a contact to see the full chat thread containing your conversation with that person, group, or channel. This is all pretty standard stuff; the kind of stuff you would expect to find on any of the best messaging apps. However, Telegram offers several other features that help explain why this is one of the most popular secure messaging apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Going beyond basic messages, Telegram has interesting and useful features like these:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we will take a close look at using Telegram on your desktop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Installing Telegram Desktop on your desktop is just like installing any other app. It only takes a moment to download, and seconds to install. Once you do, Telegram opens and asks you to enter the telephone number you used to register your mobile app. Alternately, you can click the Quick log in using QR code<\/strong> link and follow those directions. Either way, you\u2019ll soon see the familiar Telegram user interface translated onto your desktop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram officially supports the following desktop platforms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a screenshot of the Telegram desktop app I tested out on Mac OS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One drawback with the Telegram desktop app is that you won\u2019t have access to all the same features and capabilities that you do on your phone. However, if nothing else, the Desktop app will be a lifesaver in those times when you need to send long text messages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from using the Telegram desktop app, there is also a Telegram web client here<\/a>. (Be sure to use a secure browser<\/a> that respects your privacy when using web clients.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram\u2019s support site takes the form of a huge<\/em> FAQ page<\/a>. This page (seen below) links to an immense amount of helpful information about Telegram. While working on this Telegram review, I was able to find the answers to any questions that came up by searching the FAQ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, I can\u2019t guarantee that you will never need support from a live person. That shouldn\u2019t be a problem, as Telegram offers you several ways to get in touch with their support team. Instead of listing out all the options here, just go to the Support section of that huge Telegram FAQ page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram has taken a beating over the years due to doubts about its security model. The concerns target two main areas: E2E encryption, and MTProto security. Let\u2019s examine each of these areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The concern about Telegram\u2019s E2E encryption<\/strong> is that it is not applied by default<\/strong>. Most chats (Cloud chats) on Telegram are securely encrypted while in transit between your devices and Telegram\u2019s servers. Once chat messages arrive at the Telegram servers, they are encrypted using MTProto while at rest on the servers. However, Telegram can read chat data since it handles the encryption\/decryption<\/strong> of messages at the servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other secure messaging services such as Signal<\/a>, apply E2E encryption on all communications by default. The service cannot<\/strong> read those messages. Only the sender and the recipient can read E2E encrypted messages. In other words, any service that uses E2E encryption for all their messages will be more secure than Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram does support E2E encryption for two types of communications: Secret Chats, and voice calls. Secret Chats are chats that are not stored on Telegram servers, and are only accessible to the devices involved in the chat. Secret Chats should be as secure as MTProto, but users need to remember to turn them on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Voice calls are automatically E2E encrypted, likewise making them as secure as MTProto allows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MTProto is the custom mobile protocol designed by<\/strong> the Telegram<\/strong> team. While I am not qualified to comment on the security of the protocol, it has been criticized<\/a> by numerous cryptography experts. Check out this Wikipedia link<\/a> to get a better sense of the flak this protocol has taken over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the privacy front, Telegram can collect<\/strong> a decent amount of personal information<\/strong>, which it can keep for up to 12 months<\/strong>. According to their Privacy Policy<\/a>, they,<\/p>\n\n\n\n may collect metadata such as your IP address<\/strong>, devices and Telegram apps you\u2019ve used, history of username changes<\/strong>, etc.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n They may use aggregated metadata from you to help them create new features for the service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, the company has the ability to read any of your Cloud Chat messages<\/strong> to investigate spam and other violations of their Terms of Service. They may share<\/strong> some of your personal data<\/strong> with other Telegram users you choose to communicate with and companies within the Telegram Group. If forced by a court order, they may provide your IP address and mobile number to the appropriate authorities<\/strong>. (We also discovered this in our ProtonVPN review<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would be wise to use Secret Chats<\/strong> and voice calls whenever you wish to share private information on Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also a section of the Privacy Policy titled, \u201cLaw Enforcement Authorities\u201d that reads as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If Telegram receives a court order that confirms you\u2019re a terror suspect, we may disclose your IP address and phone number<\/strong> to the relevant authorities. So far, this has never happened. When it does, we will include it in a semiannual transparency report published at: https:\/\/t.me\/transparency.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This is important to keep in mind when using Telegram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have an entire article dedicated to the question of whether Telegram shares data with governments<\/a>. But to summarize the situation, here are a few key points:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can make of this situation what you will, but it does not look good for Telegram and privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As noted above, Telegram will record your IP address<\/strong> and keep it for up to 12 months. This links your identity up with your Telegram activity, chats, etc. Therefore you should take this into consideration based on your threat model and unique needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To hide your IP address<\/a> when using Telegram, you can use a VPN<\/a> (virtual private network). A VPN with Telegram will hide your IP address and location, while also encrypting your internet traffic. Some of our top-recommended VPNs include NordVPN<\/a>, which is based in Panama, as well as Surfshark and ExpressVPN<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note<\/strong>: A VPN is not a silver bullet that hides all your metadata. However, it will securely encrypt traffic between your device and a VPN server, while also concealing your true location and IP address. See these best VPN services<\/a> for more options and info.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we\u2019re on the topic of privacy, it\u2019s also important to note that Telegram requires a phone number to create an account. This is a verification step to prevent bots and spammers from mass-registering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Verification<\/strong> happens via a text message or phone call<\/strong>, and then you enter the verification code to begin using the service. But here\u2019s the important privacy tip: you don\u2019t have to use your phone number<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many anonymous SMS services you can find online that allow you to receive text messages to digital numbers. There are both free and paid SMS services available that you can find with a little bit of research (enter a search term like disposable SMS<\/strong> into your browser). You may have to try with a few different services and numbers before you can get a Telegram verification code to come through and work, but it will ensure your real phone number stays safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Registering with a disposable SMS number, and using a good VPN when you use Telegram will significantly increase your privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like its main competitor for WhatsApp escapees, Signal, Telegram Messenger is only available as a single, free version. There are no pricing tiers, no extra-cost features, and no business-specific features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As mentioned above, Telegram is 100% free of charge. The company has stated that if they run low on money, they might add some non-essential premium features, but as of now, there is only the one, free version<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Telegram is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world with over 500 million active users. At the moment, it appears to be the primary destination for people who want an alternative to WhatsApp<\/a>. Add in the fact that it is free, fast, and has tons of useful and fun features beyond basic messaging, and it\u2019s easy to see why<\/em> Telegram is so popular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But popularity does not necessarily mean it is secure or a good option for privacy-conscious users. As I showed above, there are many experts in the cryptography community that have raised doubts about Telegram\u2019s security. At the same time, the fact that end-to-end encryption is only available for Secret Chats and voice calls worries many of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nonetheless, we have still given Telegram a mention in our roundup of the best secure messaging apps<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The answer to this question all comes down to your threat model<\/a> and unique needs. If your biggest concerns are getting away from WhatsApp while having access to the largest number of users, Telegram could be a good choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if privacy and security are at the top of your list, there are other secure messaging services to consider that we have reviewed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I never trusted Telegram, as when I had researched it they open sourced the phone application, but the server code was proprietary. And for end to end encryption they had a custom protocol with their supposed audits being sketchy, along with requiring a phone number and logging IPs, with a German investigation showing they were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech","category-world"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8336"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8336\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8338,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8336\/revisions\/8338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"BREAKING:](\"https:\/\/mr.cdn.ignitecdn.com\/client_assets\/humanevents_com\/media\/picture\/66ca\/5484\/cc17\/c312\/ff36\/e15f\/content_pic_-_2024-08-24T174517.771.jpg?1724535941\")
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The Daily Mail<\/a> reported that Durov had been traveling on his private jet and was targeted by an arrest warrant in France, according to the French outlet. He was reportedly arrested around 8 pm local time when he was with his bodyguard.
TF1 reported that Durov was under threat of a warrant due to the lack of moderation on the Telegram platform. He had arrived straight from Azerbaijan and was arrested after he got off the plane. The outlet reported that he is facing 20 years in prison for alleged offenses including terrorism, narcotic supply, fraud, money laundering, receiving stolen goods and others.
“Pavel Durov will end up in pretrial detention, that’s for sure,” the source reportedly told TF1. “On [Telegram], he allowed an incalculable number of offenses and crimes to be committed, which he did nothing to moderate.”
Durov founded Telegram in 2013 along with his brother. The messaging service has 950 million users worldwide and is seen as an uncensored free speech platform. Durov is originally from Russia, but has not lived there since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Crimea. In 2014 he said, “I don’t have any business in Russia and have no plans to return there. I have no Russian citizenship anymore.” The tech tycoon lives in Dubai and has dual citizenship in both France and the United Arab Emirates.
Durov said earlier this year that Telegram would remain as a \u201cneutral platform\u201d and not a \u201cplayer in geopolitics.\u201d However, the UK government has taken issue with Telegram, saying that it allows extremists to use it for criminal means.
The platform offers end-to-end encryption, meaning data can only be accessed by the users. It has calls as well as “secret chats” that focus on the privacy aspect of the platform.
The Telegram founder and CEO is estimated to be worth about $15.5 billion, per Reuters<\/a>. When the outlet reached out to the French Interior Ministry and law enforcement for comment, neither immediately responded on the matter.<\/p>\n\n\nTelegram Review 2024: Pros, Cons, and Test Results<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"Telegram](\"https:\/\/cdn-resprivacy.pressidium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Telegram-review.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTelegram pros & cons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
+ Pros<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\u2013 Cons<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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Get the 74% off NordVPN coupon here ><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nTelegram messenger features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Telegram company background information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where is your Telegram data stored?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Telegram third-party testing and audits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Telegram messenger hands-on testing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Telegram Android app<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Working with Telegram apps<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Telegram](\"https:\/\/cdn-resprivacy.pressidium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Telegram-Android-app-.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAdditional Telegram app features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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![\"Telegram](\"https:\/\/cdn-resprivacy.pressidium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Telegram-voice-chat.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nTelegram Desktop clients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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![\"telegram](\"https:\/\/cdn-resprivacy.pressidium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/telegram-on-desktop.jpeg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSupport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"telegram](\"https:\/\/cdn-resprivacy.pressidium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/telegram-support.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow secure and private is Telegram?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
E2E encryption<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
MTProto security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Telegram logs IP address and metadata<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Does Telegram share data with governments?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Using a VPN with Telegram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"VPN](\"https:\/\/cdn-resprivacy.pressidium.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/VPN-with-Telegram.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nUsing Telegram without your real phone number<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Telegram business features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Telegram prices = free<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Telegram review conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Is Telegram right for you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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