Telegram: Difference between revisions
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|ArticleType=Service | |ArticleType=Service | ||
|Category=Software, Messaging Client | |Category=Software, Messaging Client | ||
|Logo=Telegram logo.svg | |||
|Website=https://telegram.org/ | |Website=https://telegram.org/ | ||
|Description=Telegram is an instant messaging (IM) app created in 2013 by Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov. | |Description=Telegram is an instant messaging (IM) app created in 2013 by Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov. | ||
}} | |||
'''{{Wplink|Telegram (software)|Telegram}}''' is an instant messaging (IM) app created in 2013 by Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov. The company was originally founded on the British Virgin Islands and has an LLC in Dubai since 2017. | |||
==Consumer impact summary== | ==Consumer impact summary== | ||
===User privacy=== | |||
Telegram does not sell user data to advertise to its clients, and only stores the data needed to moderate and keep its messaging client ''"secure and feature-rich"''.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Telegram Privacy Policy |url=https://telegram.org/privacy/eu?setln=en |website=Telegram |date=29 Sep 2024 |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250901100421/https://telegram.org/privacy/eu?setln=en |archive-date=1 Sep 2025}}</ref> | |||
Telegram has official clients for most major platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and web browsers. Telegram also officially allows custom clients, with some restrictions, mostly related to normal functioning of its official features (sponsored messages, online status visibility, self-destructing content).<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Telegram API Terms of Service |url=https://core.telegram.org/api/terms |website=Telegram |date= |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251102012210/https://core.telegram.org/api/terms |archive-date=2 Nov 2025}}</ref> | |||
Telegram | |||
Messages are only encrypted in transit between clients and servers by default. End-to-end encrypted chats are available as a distinct feature called "Secret Chats"<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Telegram FAQ: So how do you encrypt data? |url=https://telegram.org/faq#q-so-how-do-you-encrypt-data |website=Telegram |date= |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260110091219/https://telegram.org/faq#q-so-how-do-you-encrypt-data |archive-date=10 Jan 2026}}</ref> with reduced functionality (''e.g.'' no message synchronization between devices) and limited platform support (''e.g.'' it's not supported on desktop clients) compared to normal ("Cloud") chats. | |||
===Business model=== | |||
Telegram offers a subscription service called [https://telegram.org/faq_premium Telegram Premium]. This an optional service that will allow you to have extra features that are paywalled behind this subscription, such as larger uploads, faster download speeds and premium stickers and emojis. This subscription also includes minor privacy features such as the ability to hide one's "last seen" time and online status unilaterally (''i.e.'' from those that do not hide it from them). | |||
Telegram also operates an advertising platform [https://ads.telegram.org/ Telegram Ads] which displays sponsored messages in public channels that have 1000 or more subscribers.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Telegram Ad Platform Explained |url=https://ads.telegram.org/getting-started |website=Telegram |date= |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251017014033/https://ads.telegram.org/getting-started |archive-date=17 Oct 2025}}</ref> | |||
Telegram | |||
Telegram | ===Market control=== | ||
Telegram has a huge market in Russia, India and Brazil. In Russia, 51% of users use Telegram<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=The audience of Internet users, social networks, messengers and VPN services |url=https://www.levada.ru/en/2024/06/14/the-audience-of-internet-users-social-networks-messengers-and-vpn-services/ |website=Levada-Center |date=14 Jun 2024 |access-date=23 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240704094202/https://www.levada.ru/en/2024/06/14/the-audience-of-internet-users-social-networks-messengers-and-vpn-services/ |archive-date=4 Jul 2024}}</ref> and in India, 48% of the population uses Telegram.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Messenger usage by brand |url=https://www.statista.com/global-consumer-survey/tool/10/gcs_ind_202502?token=0&index=0&absolute=1&population=1&rows%5B0%5D=v0446_inte_brandsmessenger |url-access=registration |website=Statista |date= |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260224105246/https://www.statista.com/global-consumer-survey/tool/10/gcs_ind_202502?token=0&index=0&absolute=1&population=1&rows%5B0%5D=v0446_inte_brandsmessenger |archive-date=24 Feb 2026}}</ref> In the USA, only 9% uses this platform. | |||
In a global view, Telegram is the fourth most popular mobile messaging client as of 2024, with 950 million users,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ceci |first=Laura |title=Most popular global mobile messenger apps as of February 2025, based on number of monthly active users |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/258749/most-popular-global-mobile-messenger-apps/ |website=Statista |date=21 Feb 2025 |access-date=23 Aug 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250309170554/https://www.statista.com/statistics/258749/most-popular-global-mobile-messenger-apps/ | |||
|archive-date=9 Mar 2025}}</ref> ahead of [[Snapchat]] and just behind [[Facebook Messenger]]. | |||
Despite growing consistently in clients, Telegram now faces scrutiny in India and a potential ban, which would very negatively affect its user numbers.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Telegram Ban Update - Is Telegram Banned in India? |url=https://www.sganalytics.com/blog/is-telegram-banned-in-india/ |website=SG Analytics |date=29 Aug 2024 |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250513202454/https://www.sganalytics.com/blog/is-telegram-banned-in-india/ |archive-date=13 May 2025}}</ref> | |||
Despite growing consistently in clients, Telegram now faces scrutiny in India and a potential ban, which would very negatively affect its user numbers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sganalytics.com/blog/is-telegram-banned-in-india/| | |||
==Incidents== | ==Incidents== | ||
This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]]. | ||
===Sudden change of stance on sharing data when pressured (2024)=== | ===Sudden change of stance on sharing data when pressured (''2024'')=== | ||
Telegram was known for not selling information, and having a | Telegram was known for not selling information, and having a tight fist on its clients' data and information, even towards government authorities.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Clare |date=23 Sep 2024 |title=After CEO’s arrest, Telegram says it will now turn some bad actors’ data over to law enforcement |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/23/tech/telegram-ceo-durov-arrest-user-data-changes |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923211626/https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/23/tech/telegram-ceo-durov-arrest-user-data-changes/ |archive-date=23 Sep 2024 |access-date=23 Aug 2025 |website=CNN}}</ref> After Pavel Durov's arrest in France in 2024, Telegram began sharing user data, IP addresses, and phone numbers more freely to the authorities for criminal investigations, and to governments that requested such data. | ||
=== Istories' article on Telegram and links to Russian intelligence (2025) === | ===Istories' article on Telegram and links to Russian intelligence (''2025'')=== | ||
" | "Important Stories" published an investigative piece that highlights a possible link between Telegram and Russia's FSB (federal security service) through Vladimir Vedeneev, showing how he was a major figure in Telegram's network infrastructure and how companies he founded (major players on Russian telecom market) have FSB as one of their clients.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last1=Anin |first1=Roman |last2=Kondratyev |first2=Nikita |title=Telegram, the FSB, and the Man in the Middle |url=https://istories.media/en/stories/2025/06/10/telegram-fsb/ |website=Important Stories |date=10 Jun 2026 |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250610093959/https://istories.media/en/stories/2025/06/10/telegram-fsb/ |archive-date=10 Jun 2025}}</ref> | ||
=== Symbolic Software's report on MTProto protocol (2026) === | ===Symbolic Software's report on MTProto protocol (''May 2026'')=== | ||
Symbolic | Symbolic Software investigation showed that Telegram's in-house protocol exposes device identifiers in a network.<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=On Our Telegram MTProto Review |url=https://symbolic.software/blog/2026-05-21-telegram-mtproto-review/ |website=Symbolic Software |date=21 May 2026 |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260702144039/https://symbolic.software/blog/2026-05-21-telegram-mtproto-review/ |archive-date=2 Jul 2026}}</ref> | ||
== <ref | ===India blocks Telegram over leaked exam questions (''June 2026'')=== | ||
On 16 June 2026, India's IT Ministry suspended Telegram's ability to operate in the country due to a complaint from the National Testing Agency regarding exam materials being shared through the instant messaging application.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Durov |first=Pavel |title=Pavel Duron on X |url=https://x.com/durov/status/2066879467054649639 |website=[[X]] |date=16 Jun 2026 |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260702230646/https://nitter.catsarch.com/durov/status/2066879467054649639 |archive-date=2 Jul 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=Internet Freedom Foundation |title=Internet Freedom Foundation on X |url=https://x.com/internetfreedom/status/2066774102610763985 |website=[[X]] |date=16 Jun 2026 |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260702231036/https://nitter.catsarch.com/internetfreedom/status/2066774102610763985 |archive-date=2 Jul 2026}}</ref> This resulted in a massive rush of Indian users to {{Wplink|Virtual private network|VPN}}s or rival instant messaging apps.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Jagmeet |title=Telegram ban in India sparks a rush to VPNs, rival apps |url=https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/18/telegram-ban-in-india-sparks-a-rush-to-vpns-rival-apps/ |website=TechCrunch |date=18 Jun 2026 |access-date=2 Jul 2026 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260619010152/https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/18/telegram-ban-in-india-sparks-a-rush-to-vpns-rival-apps/ |archive-date=19 Jun 2026}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | |||
*[[WhatsApp]] | *[[WhatsApp]] | ||
*[[Signal]] | *[[Signal]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | |||
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | [[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]] | ||
Latest revision as of 23:47, 2 July 2026
Telegram
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2013 |
| Product Type | Software, Messaging Client |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://telegram.org/ |
Telegram is an instant messaging (IM) app created in 2013 by Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov. The company was originally founded on the British Virgin Islands and has an LLC in Dubai since 2017.
Consumer impact summary
[edit | edit source]User privacy
[edit | edit source]Telegram does not sell user data to advertise to its clients, and only stores the data needed to moderate and keep its messaging client "secure and feature-rich".[1]
Telegram has official clients for most major platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and web browsers. Telegram also officially allows custom clients, with some restrictions, mostly related to normal functioning of its official features (sponsored messages, online status visibility, self-destructing content).[2]
Messages are only encrypted in transit between clients and servers by default. End-to-end encrypted chats are available as a distinct feature called "Secret Chats"[3] with reduced functionality (e.g. no message synchronization between devices) and limited platform support (e.g. it's not supported on desktop clients) compared to normal ("Cloud") chats.
Business model
[edit | edit source]Telegram offers a subscription service called Telegram Premium. This an optional service that will allow you to have extra features that are paywalled behind this subscription, such as larger uploads, faster download speeds and premium stickers and emojis. This subscription also includes minor privacy features such as the ability to hide one's "last seen" time and online status unilaterally (i.e. from those that do not hide it from them).
Telegram also operates an advertising platform Telegram Ads which displays sponsored messages in public channels that have 1000 or more subscribers.[4]
Market control
[edit | edit source]Telegram has a huge market in Russia, India and Brazil. In Russia, 51% of users use Telegram[5] and in India, 48% of the population uses Telegram.[6] In the USA, only 9% uses this platform.
In a global view, Telegram is the fourth most popular mobile messaging client as of 2024, with 950 million users,[7] ahead of Snapchat and just behind Facebook Messenger.
Despite growing consistently in clients, Telegram now faces scrutiny in India and a potential ban, which would very negatively affect its user numbers.[8]
Incidents
[edit | edit source]This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the Telegram category.
Sudden change of stance on sharing data when pressured (2024)
[edit | edit source]Telegram was known for not selling information, and having a tight fist on its clients' data and information, even towards government authorities.[9] After Pavel Durov's arrest in France in 2024, Telegram began sharing user data, IP addresses, and phone numbers more freely to the authorities for criminal investigations, and to governments that requested such data.
Istories' article on Telegram and links to Russian intelligence (2025)
[edit | edit source]"Important Stories" published an investigative piece that highlights a possible link between Telegram and Russia's FSB (federal security service) through Vladimir Vedeneev, showing how he was a major figure in Telegram's network infrastructure and how companies he founded (major players on Russian telecom market) have FSB as one of their clients.[10]
Symbolic Software's report on MTProto protocol (May 2026)
[edit | edit source]Symbolic Software investigation showed that Telegram's in-house protocol exposes device identifiers in a network.[11]
India blocks Telegram over leaked exam questions (June 2026)
[edit | edit source]On 16 June 2026, India's IT Ministry suspended Telegram's ability to operate in the country due to a complaint from the National Testing Agency regarding exam materials being shared through the instant messaging application.[12][13] This resulted in a massive rush of Indian users to VPNs or rival instant messaging apps.[14]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Telegram Privacy Policy". Telegram. 29 Sep 2024. Archived from the original on 1 Sep 2025. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "Telegram API Terms of Service". Telegram. Archived from the original on 2 Nov 2025. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "Telegram FAQ: So how do you encrypt data?". Telegram. Archived from the original on 10 Jan 2026. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "Telegram Ad Platform Explained". Telegram. Archived from the original on 17 Oct 2025. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "The audience of Internet users, social networks, messengers and VPN services". Levada-Center. 14 Jun 2024. Archived from the original on 4 Jul 2024. Retrieved 23 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "Messenger usage by brand". Statista. Archived from the original on 24 Feb 2026. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Ceci, Laura (21 Feb 2025). "Most popular global mobile messenger apps as of February 2025, based on number of monthly active users". Statista. Archived from the original on 9 Mar 2025. Retrieved 23 Aug 2025.
- ↑ "Telegram Ban Update - Is Telegram Banned in India?". SG Analytics. 29 Aug 2024. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Duffy, Clare (23 Sep 2024). "After CEO's arrest, Telegram says it will now turn some bad actors' data over to law enforcement". CNN. Archived from the original on 23 Sep 2024. Retrieved 23 Aug 2025.
- ↑ Anin, Roman; Kondratyev, Nikita (10 Jun 2026). "Telegram, the FSB, and the Man in the Middle". Important Stories. Archived from the original on 10 Jun 2025. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "On Our Telegram MTProto Review". Symbolic Software. 21 May 2026. Archived from the original on 2 Jul 2026. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Durov, Pavel (16 Jun 2026). "Pavel Duron on X". X. Archived from the original on 2 Jul 2026. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Internet Freedom Foundation (16 Jun 2026). "Internet Freedom Foundation on X". X. Archived from the original on 2 Jul 2026. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ Singh, Jagmeet (18 Jun 2026). "Telegram ban in India sparks a rush to VPNs, rival apps". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on 19 Jun 2026. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.