Signal by default makes this much more difficult as it’s encryption process requires you to actively accept another user before messaging”. “Additionally, Hackers target both platforms for scams and phishing URLs. “WhatsApp and Telegram both work by building communities of users, collecting data on the user related to their device using fingerprinting (phone numbers, device data etc)”, said Gaffney.

Tom Gaffney, Security Consultant at F-Secure added that Telegram’s data handling is comparable to WhatsApp, in some instances.

Encrypted chats cannot be accessed from multiple devices”, said Bischoff, explaining that the latter does make them more secure but less convenient than WhatsApp.īischoff added, “Telegram has bots, which are powerful tools but can be used for scams and cyberattacks”, though the expert also noted that all three apps have shown documented cybersecurity vulnerabilities over the years. Telegram chats are not encrypted end-to-end by default. The lack of end-to-end encryption by default can be its own privacy issue. Telegram for example allows the use of a username instead which can be significantly safer for many people”.Ĭomparitech Privacy Advocate Paul Bischoff added that Telegram also requires users to opt-in to end-to-end encryption by creating a secret chat. “That said, there are cases where Signal can be less private and less safe depending on your definition – for example Signal requires use a phone number for connection with other users, which can have significant physical safety risks for many people who are targeted by stalkers. “Signal is mostly seen as the security and privacy standard for this kind of messaging app, and it is what I use primarily myself”, said Aurora. So, how does Telegram compare to other popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal? F-Secure’s Global Partner Product Advocate Fennel Aurora told Trusted Reviews from a technical standpoint there is a clear winner.

While this might make the platform appear unattractive, its user experience shows users aren’t exposed to controversial content given they haven’t gone looking for it”. “A quick Google search will produce multiple examples of how Telegram has been widely used by fringe political groups, while in 2017 security experts also acknowledged that it is in fact the app of choice for terrorist organisations. Telegram’s unique combination of messaging and social media, plus its publicly relaxed content moderation strategy means it attracts a certain style of user who may have been outed from more mainstream online platforms”, said Demetriades. “One of the biggest issues with Telegram is the content shared in the app and the company’s “hand off” approach to moderation. Owenson.ĭemetriades agreed, suggesting the service also has a very hands-off moderation approach is causing ongoing issues. “Telegram is also popular amount darkweb criminals and other malicious actors due to its perceived security”, said Dr. While any app can be targeted by the wrong people, Telegram’s secure reputation and lax moderation has also been known to attract criminals in the past. Up your cybersecurity with NordVPN – Now 62% off plus a random gift of either 3 months or 1 year extra subscription with every purchase. Research by Royal Holloway recently found vulnerabilities in the cryptography used by Telegram”, said Dr. “Telegram has a reputation as a secure messaging app but this is largely due to the feature set it offers rather than the strong encryption. Gareth Owenson added that Telegram’s encryption also has its flaws. Searchlight Security CTO and co-founder Dr. However, the fact that end-to-end encryption is not automatically used on messages sent in Telegram means it’s not as secure as privacy-focused messaging platforms such as Signal, which offers end-to-end encryption for all communications”, explained Demetriades. “Telegram has positioned itself as an app committed to private and secure messaging. However, just because Telegram has a more trustworthy reputation than WhatsApp, that doesn’t mean your messages are automatically protected. End-to-end encryption is crucial to keeping your messages private and this is a level of protection that Telegram only offers in specific areas of its app. With WhatsApp revealing a change to its T&Cs which informed users that their data would be shared with new parent company Meta, many people ‘jumped ship’ in search of a less intrusive messaging option”. “The messaging and social media platform has risen from relative anonymity to become one of the biggest players in the ‘secret messaging’ business in less than a year. “If you hadn’t heard of Telegram until 2021, you wouldn’t be alone”, said Demetriades. Antony Demetriades, VP at McAfee, told Trusted Reviews, while the app been around since 2013, its only recently that Telegram has become more of a household name.

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