What’s wrong with Telegram?

💬 Telegram is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with nearly a billion users,. When its founder, Pavel Durov was arrested in France lately there’s been quite an uproar. This is censorship! But is it really? It’s a great opportunity to talk about the problems associated with Telegram and why it’s better not to use it. Sources: 📲 Most Popular Messaging Apps (2024) https://explodingtopics.com/blog/messaging-apps-stats 🚪 The Most Backdoor-Looking Bug I’ve Ever Seen https://words.filippo.io/dispatches/telegram-ecdh/ 🔐 Telegram: Crowdsourcing a More Secure Future https://telegram.org/blog/crowdsourcing-a-more-secure-future 🤔 Telegram: Can I get Telegram's server-side code? https://telegram.org/faq#q-why-not-open-source-everything 📊 Security Analysis of Telegram (Symmetric Part) https://mtpsym.github.io/ 🔨Looking back at how Signal works, as the world moves forward https://signal.org/blog/looking-back-as-the-world-moves-forward/ 🤨 What is VLOP? https://panoptykon.org/vlop ❌ Telegram still doesn't meet large platform requirements under DSA https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/08/21/telegram-still-doesnt-meet-large-platform-requirements-under-dsa 💵 The Telegram Billionaire and His Dark Empire https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/the-telegram-billionaire-and-his-dark-empire-a-f27cb79f-86ae-48de-bdbd-8df604d07cc8 👥 Russia's VKontakte CEO says he was fired, flees Russia https://www.reuters.com/article/markets/commodities/russias-vkontakte-ceo-says-he-was-fired-flees-russia-idUSL6N0NE1HS/ 🇷🇺 Pavel Durov has visited Russia more than 50 times since his "exile" in 2014 https://istories.media/en/news/2024/08/27/pavel-durov-has-visited-russia-more-than-50-times-since-his-exile-in-2014/ 🚫 Russia lifts ban on Telegram messaging app after failing to block it https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/russia-lifts-ban-on-telegram-messaging-app-after-failing-to-block-it-idUSKBN23P2DY/ 🇨🇺 Telegram blocked in Cuba? Civil society demands answers https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/telegram-blocked-in-cuba-civil-society-demands-answers/ 📨 Russia blocks Signal messaging app as authorities tighten control over information https://apnews.com/article/russia-crackdown-signal-messenger-blocked-2adc9c67fc749727c41375f5b5ffb2a3 8️⃣ Eight signs of the difference of Telegram, one of Russia's most successful projects https://texty.org.ua/articles/112347/eight-signsof-danger-telegram-one-russias-most-successful-projects/ 🥷 State-backed attackers and commercial surveillance vendors repeatedly use the same exploits https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/state-backed-attackers-and-commercial-surveillance-vendors-repeatedly-use-the-same-exploits/ 🤬 Telegram is shutting down a channel that called for violent protests against Iran’s government https://www.vox.com/2017/12/30/16833542/telegram-iran-demostrations-messaging-protests-pavel-durov ⚖️ Telegram is now keeping laws, at least a little https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/apps/telegram-gibt-nutzerdaten-an-das-bundeskriminalamt-a-0e4d3fcb-8081-4b87-b062-db412bbc294b 💰 Who is funding Telegram? How a decade of unprofitability hasn't stopped the messenger app from growing https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/articles/2023/10/1/7422200/ 🇩🇪 Germany and Wirecard. Europe's biggest financial fraud https://instytutsprawobywatelskich.pl/niemcy-i-wirecard-najwieksze-oszustwo-finansowe-europy/ ⛓️‍💥 Kremlin Denies Putin Met Telegram Boss Durov Before Arrest in France https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/08/26/kremlin-denies-putin-met-telegram-boss-durov-before-arrest-in-france-a86150 📱 WSJ: France, UAE hacked Telegram CEO Durov's iPhone in 2017 https://news.az/news/wsj-france-uae-hacked-t-elegram-ceo-durov-s-iphone-in-2017 🫨 Russian Military Bloggers Are Panicking After Telegram Chief's Arrest https://www.newsweek.com/russian-military-bloggers-arrest-telegram-pavel-durov-1944293 🗣️ Nechaev urged the opposition parties of France to support the release of Durov https://ria.ru/20240825/durov-1968384140.html 👨‍💼 Telegram’s CEO and Founder Durov Under Arrest: Cybercriminals React https://www.kelacyber.com/durov-telegram-ceo-under-arrest/ Relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1810/ © All trademarks, logos and brand names are the property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, trademarks and brands does not imply endorsement. My socials: Instagram @mattchrobok https://www.instagram.com/mattchrobok/ Twixxer @ChrobokMatt https://twitter.com/ChrobokMatt Mastodon https://infosec.exchange/@mateuszchrobok LinkedIn @mateuszchrobok https://www.linkedin.com/in/mateuszchrobok/ TikTok @mattchrobok Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mattchrobok Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:59 Encryption 04:18 MTProto 11:08 Privacy 16:00 Anti-system 23:58 Cooperation 29:39 Money 34:37 Arrest 39:52 Reaction 43:36 What To Do And How To Live? #Telegram #privacy #Durov #Russia #freespeech