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lemmy - Link to source

What's with Telegram? Heard mixed opinions on it.
Some people say it's really privacy-giving and that you should use it as a privacy alternative.
Others say it's alao on the big tech side.
What's going on with telegram, really?
#privacy
in reply to Meow-Misfit

Señor Mono
lemmy - Link to source
Señor Mono
• •

messenger-matrix.de/messenger-…

Take a look at the comparison and judge for yourself.

Messenger-Matrix • Kuketz IT-Security Blog

Messenger: Comparison of security- and data protection-relevant features of messengers
www.messenger-matrix.de
in reply to Meow-Misfit

anon5621
lemmy - Link to source
anon5621
• •
It was much better in the past in years 2017 ,now don't use it.they put many limitations to custom clients and still not published source code of server as it was promised
in reply to Meow-Misfit

Lyra_Lycan
lemmy - Link to source
Lyra_Lycan
• •

Telegram allegedly complied with a government to give them user data, and their e2e encryption was switched to be off by default. I know because when I started the chat with someone we raved about how it says 'end to end encrypted' before sending a message. Well, between then and when I decided to migrate off it, that private one-to-one chat's encryption was switched off.

I say it's okay, but only ensure that e2ee is on


Telegram gave more user data to French authorities after founder's arrest

Pavel Durov, the founder and chief executive officer of the messaging app, was arrested in Paris last August over criminal content posted by users on his platform.
Le Monde with AFP (Le Monde)
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to Lyra_Lycan

deprecateddino
lemmy - Link to source
deprecateddino
• •
Even with e2ee, I wouldn't trust it since they use a closed-source, proprietary encryption protocol.
in reply to deprecateddino

Lyra_Lycan
lemmy - Link to source
Lyra_Lycan
• •
How far they have fallen.. Which would you recommend, sans self-hosting a service? Signal?
in reply to Meow-Misfit

majster
lemmy - Link to source
majster
• •
its not private, but its FOSS, it has great mobile&desktop client
in reply to majster

einkorn
lemmy - Link to source
einkorn
• •
Telegram is not FOSS. The client is, but the server-side implementation is not, which is important if you consider the fact that encryption is turned off by default.
in reply to einkorn

majster
lemmy - Link to source
majster
• •
I don't think that is disqualifying, because you can't control what is running on someone's else machine anyway. It's centralization that is the problem.
in reply to majster

einkorn
lemmy - Link to source
einkorn
• •
If it was impossible for the other side to read the content of the messages, I'd agree. Hence, why it is less problematic that Signals server software is closed source.
in reply to einkorn

Catalyst
lemmy - Link to source
Catalyst
• •
There's a FOSS version of signal called molly that's opensource.
in reply to Catalyst

pogmommy
lemmy - Link to source
pogmommy
• •
That's a signal client, not server. While I think there are reimplementations of the signal server that you can theoretically use, you'll be bound to only communicating with people also connecting through that server (ie no federation)
This entry was edited (22 hours ago)
in reply to Meow-Misfit

Szorfein
lemmy - Link to source
Szorfein
• •
Just another application owned by multi miliionaire
in reply to Szorfein

Autonomous User
lemmy - Link to source
Autonomous User
• •

Like being poor makes it okay.

It relies on a service we do not control.

This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to Autonomous User

Szorfein
lemmy - Link to source
Szorfein
• •

It always funny to see a rich guy say:

your data is encrypted


What do you think they sell?

in reply to Meow-Misfit

HoleSailor
lemmy - Link to source
HoleSailor
• •
For messaging purpose WhatsApp (if not Signal) is better than Telegram as Telegram chats are not encrypted by default.
in reply to HoleSailor

Autonomous User
lemmy - Link to source
Autonomous User
• •
Wrong, we do not control WhatsApp. It fails to include a libre software license text file. Nothing secures our messages from WhatsApp.
in reply to Autonomous User

HoleSailor
lemmy - Link to source
HoleSailor
• •
Neither do we control Telegram. Both TG and WP are notorious. Even after Telegram client's being open-sourced, no one stopped them from sharing user data to Indian Govt. I am not defending WP, but it at least has a mention that chats are by default E2E encrypted. That's why I mentioned "if not Signal".
This entry was edited (1 day ago)
in reply to HoleSailor

Autonomous User
lemmy - Link to source
Autonomous User
• •
Wrong, 'open source' misses the point of libre software.
in reply to Autonomous User

HoleSailor
lemmy - Link to source
HoleSailor
• •
Ok, does that prove Telegram more privacy-oriented than WP? That is my point.
in reply to HoleSailor

Nalivai
lemmy - Link to source
Nalivai
• •
At least Telegram might try to resist. Meta corporation offers your data to highest bidder preemptively
in reply to Meow-Misfit

Undertaker
lemmy - Link to source
Undertaker
• •
Some people obviously do not know what they are talking about. Telegram stores clear text chat messages on their servers. That's not even near privacy
in reply to Undertaker

FoundFootFootage78
lemmy - Link to source
FoundFootFootage78
• •
A lot of debate has been had about whether the CEO is trustworthy, but I guess if they're not doing end to end encryption then there's no point.
in reply to Undertaker

Nalivai
lemmy - Link to source
Nalivai
• •
stores clear text chat messages on their servers.


Does it really?

in reply to Nalivai

spinning_disk_engineer
lemmy - Link to source
spinning_disk_engineer
• •
By default, yes. It is possible to create a so-called secret chat, which is standard for signal and similar, but that's something you have to manually do. Furthermore, it's not even possible to make secret chats for groups. When it was initially released, I was cautiously optimistic that it could turn into a good, secure application, but knowing it's been this long and it hasn't, I wouldn't consider that likely.
in reply to spinning_disk_engineer

Nalivai
lemmy - Link to source
Nalivai
• •
It absolutely doesn't mean they store chats in plain text. There is no reason for it at all, it's extra work and extra stupidity. It's encrypted when the client sends it, no reason not to store it that way.
in reply to Meow-Misfit

Autonomous User
lemmy - Link to source
Autonomous User
• •

Libre software app, we control it, good.

Relies on a service we do not control, BAD!

This entry was edited (19 hours ago)
in reply to Meow-Misfit

emergencyfood
lemmy - Link to source
emergencyfood
• •

It depends. By default, it uses a weaker encryption than WhatsApp. You can turn on e2e encryption, but not in group chats.

On the other hand, it has multiple FOSS clients, will work on pretty much any platform, and has a great UI.

If you want a fairly secure chat app that your grandparents can use, then Telegram is perfect. If you're sending highly confidential stuff, then no.

It's also suitable for project groups, because of the better tools (and moderation bots) available to the mods.

in reply to Meow-Misfit

onlooker
lemmy - Link to source
onlooker
• •
Telegram talks a pretty big privacy game, but consider that the feature that actually enables end-to-end encryption, called "Secret Chats" in the app, is OFF by default. Couple that with everything else said in this thread and you start to see a picture forming. And it's not pretty.
in reply to Meow-Misfit

artyom
piefed - Link to source
artyom
• •

I wouldn't call it "big tech". The biggest problem is that none of the chats are encrypted by default. And even if you do use "secret chats", the encryption there doesn't seem to be up to PAR with modern standards.

The creator previously refused to comply with warrants but since he was jailed in France, that's pretty much over.

A good messenger is unable to comply, by design, because it simply does not store the data that these govts are after.

in reply to Meow-Misfit

ordnance_qf_17_pounder
lemmy - Link to source
ordnance_qf_17_pounder
• •
All I know is that every scammer under the sun uses it these days
in reply to Meow-Misfit

balsoft
lemmy - Link to source
balsoft
• •
It probably has worse privacy than e-mail or IRC, because it has the same level of encryption (transport encryption only, i.e. Telegram LLC can read your messages), but it also requires a phone number to use, linking your account to your real identity. In short, do not use it for communications if you desire them to be private.
in reply to balsoft

Matt
lemmy - Link to source
Matt
• •
Signal also requires a phone number and nobody complains.
in reply to Matt

balsoft
lemmy - Link to source
balsoft
• •
Signal is at least e2e encrypted, so they can't read your messages. But also, I do complain and refuse to use it for important stuff. Matrix/XMPP are much better.
in reply to Meow-Misfit

Catalyst
lemmy - Link to source
Catalyst
• •
Use Forkgram off of F-Droid. Its an open source app with extra features. You have to have the regular app to verify the login on forkgram. Then just uninstall the regular app. I only use it for news channels and mod'd app channels. I don't use it for communications. Its not good for that.
in reply to Meow-Misfit

Lor
lemmy - Link to source
Lor
• •
The alleged the connections to FSB give me pause. themoscowtimes.com/2025/06/10/…

Investigation Uncovers Telegram's Potential Links to Russia's FSB

The Telegram messaging app may be less secure than previously thought, as its infrastructure is controlled by a man whose companies have collaborated with Russian intelligence services, according to a new investigation by the exiled outlet IStories.
The Moscow Times
in reply to Meow-Misfit

peskypry
lemmy - Link to source
peskypry
• •

Every text you send through Telegram is stored in plaintext. Telegram and authorities can access that without your knowledge. Also it will get leaked in a breach someday.

Now you decide for yourself if it's private.

in reply to Meow-Misfit

M1k3y
lemmy - Link to source
M1k3y
• •

Its main "security" feature is that they are uncooperative towards most governments. If a government makes a legally binding request to signal, they recieve IP, Account creation date and other unavoidable stuff and signal is transparent about that.
If telegram gets that request, they probably ignore it, but maybe they don't and there is no way to know as a user.

Also telegram is the platform of drug dealers, nazis and conspiracy theorists. So even if it had e2e by default, I would still prefer using another platform.

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