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]By default, Telegram uses cloud-based chats, which collect and store all messages on their remote servers. They additionally offer "secret chats", which use End-to-end encryption and are managed entirely on-device.[1]
Telegram claims to not sell user data to advertise to its clients.[2] Telegram shares user data with authorities.[3]
Telegram uses its own in-house communication protocol, which, like telegram clients, is open-source[4][5] and can be inspected by anyone.
Business model
[edit | edit source]Telegram offers a subscription service called Telegram Premium. This an optional service that grants access to extra features, such as larger uploads, more customization, and premium stickers and emojis.[6]
Telegram also operates an advertising platform Telegram Ads, which displays sponsored messages in public channels that have 1000 or more subscribers.[7]
Market control
[edit | edit source]Telegram has a huge market in Russia, India and Brazil. In Russia, 51% of users use Telegram[8] and in India, 48% of the population uses Telegram. In the USA, only 9% uses this platform.[citation needed]
Globally, Telegram is the fourth most popular mobile messaging client as of 2024, with 950 million users,[9] 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.[10]
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. 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.[11]
Istories' article on Telegram and links to Russian intelligence (2025)
[edit | edit source]"Important Stories" published an investigative piece highlighting 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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[14][15] This resulted in a massive rush of Indian users to VPNs or rival instant messaging apps.[16]
See also
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ "Telegram FAQ". Telegram. Archived from the original on 2026-08-30. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "Telegram Privacy Policy". Telegram. 29 Sep 2024. Archived from the original on 1 Sep 2025. Retrieved 2 Jul 2026.
- ↑ "Telegram Privacy Policy".
- ↑ "MTProto Mobile Protocol". Telegram. Archived from the original on 2026-08-29. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "Telegram Applications". Telegram. Archived from the original on 2026-08-29. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "Telegram Premium FAQ". Telegram. Archived from the original on 2026-08-28. Retrieved 2026-08-31.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Ceci, Laura (2025-02-21). "Most popular global mobile messenger apps as of February 2025, based on number of monthly active users". Statista. Archived from the original on 2025-03-09. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
- ↑ "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.