How To Stay Safe On Telegram : The TRUTH About Security On The App

Summary

This video script discusses the privacy and security concerns associated with using Telegram, a messaging app that many believe is private and secure due to its end-to-end encryption. The speaker argues that Telegram is not as secure as it claims, especially when compared to apps like Signal. They highlight that Telegram collects user data, including phone numbers, contacts, and IP addresses, and that its end-to-end encryption is limited to 'secret chats.' The script also touches on the potential for Telegram to be used by governments to monitor users and suggests alternative apps like Matrix for better privacy. The speaker emphasizes the importance of using secure communication tools, especially for those involved in sensitive activities, and provides tips for enhancing Telegram's security.

Takeaways

• 🚫 **Avoid Telegram for Privacy**: The script strongly advises against using Telegram due to its lack of privacy and security compared to other messaging platforms.
• 🔒 **Telegram is Not End-to-End Encrypted**: It clarifies that Telegram's standard chats are not end-to-end encrypted, which is a common misconception.
• 🌐 **Centralized Nature of Telegram**: The platform is centralized, which contradicts the idea of it being an alternative or decentralized tech solution.
• ❗️ **Telegram's Data Collection**: The script highlights Telegram's practice of collecting user data such as phone numbers, contacts, and IP addresses, raising privacy concerns.
• 📉 **Comparison with Signal**: It positions Signal as a more secure alternative to Telegram, emphasizing Signal's commitment to minimal data collection and true end-to-end encryption.
• 🛑 **Insecurity of 'Secret Chats'**: Even Telegram's 'secret chats' feature, which is supposed to offer end-to-end encryption, has limitations and might not be as secure as users believe.
• 🔑 **Telegram's Compliance with Law Enforcement**: There have been instances where Telegram has complied with data requests, which could compromise user privacy.
• 🌟 **Rise in Users Post-Facebook Outage**: The script mentions a significant increase in Telegram users following a Facebook outage, indicating a shift in platform preference due to privacy concerns.
• 🌐 **International Data Sharing**: It discusses how international treaties allow for data sharing across countries, potentially exposing Telegram's user data to various government agencies.
• 🔐 **Recommendations for Secure Communication**: The script suggests using platforms like Matrix for more secure communication and provides tips for enhancing privacy on Telegram.

Q & A

Why is the speaker concerned about using Telegram?

The speaker is concerned because Telegram is often perceived as a private and secure messaging app, but it actually lacks end-to-end encryption for regular chats and collects user data like phone numbers, contacts, and IP addresses, which can compromise privacy and security.

What alternative to Telegram does the speaker suggest for better privacy?

The speaker suggests using Signal, which is known for its strong end-to-end encryption and minimal data collection, providing better privacy compared to Telegram.

How did Telegram gain popularity during a Facebook outage?

During a six-hour Facebook outage, Telegram gained a record 70 million new users, becoming the fifth most downloaded app in the United States, highlighting its appeal as an alternative platform during such incidents.

What is the difference between Telegram's regular chats and secret chats in terms of encryption?

Telegram's regular chats are only server-side encrypted, which means Telegram can access the messages, while secret chats use end-to-end encryption, ensuring only the sender and receiver can read the messages.

Why does the speaker believe Signal is superior to Telegram in terms of privacy?

Signal is superior because it offers true end-to-end encryption for all messages, including group chats, and has a track record of minimal data requests compliance, with an open-source codebase ensuring transparency.

What is the speaker's opinion on the claim that Telegram is an open-source platform?

The speaker disputes the claim, stating that while Telegram has open-source clients, the server-side is proprietary and centralized, meaning the core system is not truly open-source.

How does the speaker advise users to enhance their privacy on Telegram?

The speaker advises using a VPN, creating a separate phone number through an app like Sideline, and being cautious about the information shared on the platform to minimize the risk of privacy breaches.

What is the significance of the '14 eyes' alliance mentioned in the script?

The '14 eyes' alliance refers to a group of countries that collaborate and share information, which means if Telegram's servers are in any of these countries, the data can be accessed through legal requests, potentially compromising user privacy.

Why does the speaker mention Matrix as a better alternative to Telegram?

Matrix is mentioned as a better alternative because it offers true end-to-end encryption for all communications, including groups, and is designed to be more privacy-focused and decentralized compared to Telegram.

What is the speaker's stance on the use of Telegram in the traditional market?

The speaker is concerned about the use of Telegram in the traditional market due to its privacy shortcomings and advises users to be cautious and consider more secure alternatives to protect their operations.

Outlines

00:00

📢 Warning Against Telegram Usage

The speaker strongly advises against using Telegram, a messaging app that many mistakenly believe to be private and secure. They clarify that Telegram is not end-to-end encrypted and is centralized, making it as risky for privacy as Facebook Messenger. The speaker suggests that WhatsApp, despite being owned by Facebook, might offer better privacy due to its end-to-end encryption. They also hint at a forthcoming explanation on how to use Telegram securely and touch upon the potential risks for 'trappers' and 'pushers' who use the app, suggesting that Telegram could become a tool for authorities to target these groups.

05:04

🔒 Privacy Concerns with Telegram

This paragraph delves into the privacy and security issues associated with Telegram. The speaker contrasts Telegram with Signal, highlighting Signal's commitment to privacy by only providing the minimum required data to authorities. They criticize Telegram for collecting more user data, including phone numbers, contacts, and IP addresses, and for only offering end-to-end encryption in 'secret chats'. The speaker also discusses Telegram's compliance with data requests and past instances where it has provided user data, contrary to its claims of not sharing information with law enforcement. They mention the '14 eyes' alliance and how Telegram's servers in those countries can be accessed, suggesting that the app is not as private as users might think.

10:09

🚫 Debunking Telegram's Claims

The speaker refutes several common misconceptions about Telegram, emphasizing that it is not truly open source, as its server-side is proprietary and centralized. They clarify that while Telegram has an option for end-to-end encryption, it is limited and not the default, unlike in apps like Matrix and XMPP. The paragraph also addresses Telegram's claim of being a decentralized alternative to mainstream platforms, arguing that it is as centralized as Facebook or Twitter. The speaker warns that Telegram's ability to monitor chats and its history of compliance with data requests make it a risky platform for those seeking privacy.

15:11

🛡️ Enhancing Telegram's Security

In the final paragraph, the speaker provides recommendations for enhancing the security and privacy of Telegram usage. They suggest using a service like Sideline to create a separate phone number for Telegram registration, thus decoupling the user's identity from their main phone number. The speaker also advises using a VPN from a trusted, community-verified source to maintain anonymity. They express a commitment to creating resources and a newsletter to help users secure their privacy, emphasizing the importance of these measures for those operating in the traditional market to protect themselves against potential threats.

Keywords

💡Telegram

Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging and voice over IP service. In the video, it is discussed as a platform that many users falsely believe to be private and secure due to its end-to-end encryption feature, which is actually limited and not the default for all chats. The video emphasizes that Telegram is not as secure as users might think, and it is compared to other platforms like Signal in terms of privacy concerns.

💡End-to-End Encryption

End-to-end encryption is a system of communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. In the video, it is mentioned that Telegram's default chats do not use end-to-end encryption, which is a critical point of discussion as it relates to user privacy. The video contrasts this with 'secret chats' in Telegram, which do offer end-to-end encryption, but are not the default setting and have limitations.

💡Privacy

Privacy in the context of the video refers to the ability of users to communicate without being monitored or interfered with by third parties, such as governments or service providers. The video argues that Telegram does not provide the level of privacy that many users believe it does, especially when compared to other messaging apps like Signal.

💡Data Collection

Data collection is the gathering of user information by service providers. The video discusses Telegram's data collection practices, which include collecting phone numbers, contacts, and IP addresses, as a significant privacy concern. It contrasts this with Signal's approach, which is highlighted as more privacy-respecting.

💡Open Source

Open source refers to software where the source code is made publicly available, allowing anyone to view, modify, and distribute the software. The video script clarifies that while Telegram has open-source clients, its server-side is proprietary and centralized, which contradicts the common belief that Telegram is entirely open source.

💡VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that creates a secure and encrypted connection over the internet. In the video, the use of a VPN is recommended as a step to improve security and privacy on Telegram, by masking the user's IP address and location, thus adding a layer of protection against surveillance.

💡Sideline

Sideline is an app mentioned in the video that allows users to create a second phone number. It is suggested as a tool to enhance privacy on Telegram by using this secondary number for registration instead of a personal phone number, thereby decoupling the Telegram account from one's real-world identity.

💡Operational Security (OpSec)

Operational security, or OpSec, refers to the measures taken to protect sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized parties. The video emphasizes the importance of OpSec for users of Telegram, especially those involved in activities they wish to keep private, and provides recommendations on how to improve it.

💡Signal

Signal is a messaging app that is highlighted in the video as a more secure alternative to Telegram. It is known for its strong focus on privacy and end-to-end encryption by default for all communications. The video uses Signal as a benchmark to illustrate the shortcomings of Telegram's privacy features.

💡IP Address

An IP address is a unique identifier for devices on a network. In the video, the collection of IP addresses by Telegram is pointed out as a privacy issue because it can be used to track users' online activities and potentially link them to their real-world identities.

💡Matrix

Matrix is an open-source project for decentralized communication, mentioned in the video as a more secure and private alternative to Telegram. It supports end-to-end encryption and is extolled for its ability to provide the kind of secure communication that Telegram claims but does not fully deliver.

Highlights

Telegram is not as private as users believe; it's not end-to-end encrypted by default.

Using WhatsApp might offer better privacy than Telegram due to its end-to-end encryption.

Telegram's security can be improved with additional steps, but it's not secure out-of-the-box.

Telegram is not a decentralized system; it's centralized and can be as risky as Facebook Messenger in terms of privacy.

Telegram's rise in users was partly due to Facebook's privacy scandals and outages.

Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, created it with a focus on freedom of speech and minimal content moderation.

Telegram surpasses 500 million active users and offers features beyond messaging, like voice calling and file sharing.

Telegram's secret chats function uses end-to-end encryption, but it's limited and not the default for all chats.

Signal is a more privacy-focused app compared to Telegram, with a stronger commitment to minimal data collection.

Telegram collects more user data, including phone numbers, contacts, and IP addresses, raising privacy concerns.

Telegram's compliance with data requests from governments is not as strict as it claims, with examples of data sharing.

Telegram's infrastructure, despite being distributed, can still be accessed by governments under certain treaties.

The Israeli flower network 'Telegrams' on the app was shut down, with many arrests made, raising concerns about Telegram's security.

Matrix is recommended as a more secure alternative to Telegram for those seeking privacy.

Telegram's claims of being open source are misleading; the server side is proprietary and centralized.

Telegram's end-to-end encryption is limited and not the same as in apps like Signal or Matrix.

For increased security on Telegram, using a VPN and a separate phone number not tied to personal identity is advised.

The video concludes with a call to action for users to secure their privacy and consider alternative platforms.

Transcripts

so this is coming up again so I feel like I need  to talk about it do not use telegram the messenger  

at all there is no reason to use it um telegram  a lot of people using it have this idea that it  

is a private messenger it's not a lot of people  have the idea that it is end-to-end encrypted it  

is not a lot of people have the idea that is  some kind of alt Tech or decentralized system  

it is not it is just as bad as using Facebook  Messenger in terms of your privacy and Security  

in fact there's a good reason to think that using  something like WhatsApp even though it's a spyware  

program is better for your privacy than telegram  telegram honestly sucks there's no reason so  

is telegram secure is signal secure yes they  are secure as you as a user can make them  

be um you can't just log on to telegram anymore  and be safe no you have to take some extra steps  

to actually have a secure telegram where you  can you know do whatever you want to do and be  

able to sleep well hey so I just want to say  really quick guys make sure you stick around  

to the end of this video because this is how  we're gonna explain exactly how to use Telegram  

and be 100 safe and secure are Trappers safe on  telegram well the quick answer is absolutely not  

and is there a potential that telegram  serves as a major resource for the government  

to shut down the traditional Market in  the future maybe but there's a lot you  

need to understand before jumping into those  hypotheticals so in this episode of the Trap  

tree series we are going to tell the story  of the rise of the private messaging app  

Telegram and how in many ways the Trappers and  pushers should be really careful using this app  

please make sure that the like button comment  subscribe and share this video also follow me  

on all social medias the links are down below in  the description anyways this is LMC let's run it

telegram a platform that grants people  the freedom to express themselves  

it's a rare gem in a world dominated by  platforms like Facebook with just around  

30 core employees telegrams managed to secure a  spot among the top 10 platforms globally unlike  

other platforms telegram exercise minimal content  moderation allowing users to speak their minds  

except when it comes to illicit content and  calls for violence now Pavel durov the Russian  

founder of telegram envisioned it as an idea that  everyone on this planet has the right to be free  

now over the years right Facebook has faced a  number of different controversies right typically  

it really has to do with the privacy and you know  the scandals when it comes to you know influencing  

politics right another adult as a result people  have started to question you know it's dominance  

and this is where telegrams start to step in  because Facebook has really ruined the reputation  

and you know trustworthiness you know an example  of that being during a nearly six hour Facebook  

outage right that happened uh two years ago in  October telegram gained a record 70 million new  

users it even became the fifth most downloaded  app in the United States climbing up from  

56th spot but what exactly is Telegram so let's  break down telegram so telegram is not just a chat  

messaging service it has a lot more to offer  so it's got features like voice calling file  

sharing and more and it's surpassed 500 million  active users worldwide and I think that's really  

gone up to about 700 million at this point and  the platforms founder Pablo durov was motivated  

by concerns about government surveillance  particularly after Edward snowden's Revelations  

thanks and also it is dealing with you know the  past tech companies that he started in Russia  

which were co-opted by the Russian government so  he decided to leave you know the country and not  

start a telegram and so that's why telegram  includes a secret chats function which uses  

end-to-end encryption and stores messages locally  on users devices ensuring privacy and security  

telegram is not just about privacy but if we're  talking at a hole here business business or Media  

or you know there's everything on telegram there's  like meet up for events and conventions it doesn't  

just have to be Trappers and what we're discussing  so signal versus telegram gets a little bit cloudy  

sometimes because telegram has the channel  features it has more of a social media aspect  

and that's why I think it has become so popular  in our community now let's actually get into  

the meat of this right when it comes to ensuring  privacy there's one fundamental principle right  

design the app in a way that minimizes data  collection and provides user-friendly defaults  

and this is something that I think telegram  kind of struggles with this is rather crucial  

because not not everyone using these apps is  tech savvy and with over 1 billion downloads  

and over 700 million daily active users how  what percentage of those people are actually in  

Savvy enough to protect you  protect themselves right

we want to protect users from making unintentional  mistakes that could compromise their privacy  

and apps like signal understand  this concept well in comparison too  

Telegram now let's take signal as an example  so signal has received data requests from the  

FBI and they provided only the bare minimum  right they don't store users personal data  

you know they comply with the government but  if they the compliance only you know entails  

what they can provide legally you know which  is what they only get that's that's all it is

so sing but signals end-to-end  encryption ensures right the bare minimum  

that can be respond you know retrieved from the  FBI the chats remain private and the transparency  

is evident through open source coding now when we  go to telegram well telegram collects your phone  

number like signal which is definitely a problem  in terms of overall security but they go a step  

further and gather your contacts and IP address as  well additionally telegram's end-to-end encryption  

is limited to secret chats while regular chats  are only server-side encrypted and this raises  

concerns about the overall privacy and security  of the app now while I can't stress enough to  

you that you shouldn't be doing anything  you know elicit because well it's the law  

but good thing our friends over at Dr smoke  have everything covered and is above board 100  

legal if you're looking for trusted high quality  products to Puff on or to chew on or to drink on  

go to drsmoke.com use my discount code LMC to get  15 off your entire order all products are tested  

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so make sure to go over to doctorslog.com  now let's jump back into the video [Music]  

let's talk about telegram again so while telegram  collects your iPhone number like like signal  

they go a step further and gather your  contacts and IP addresses well like I mentioned  

right telegram claims to have distributed  you know infrastructure storing data across  

various jurisdictions and they mentioned  that multiple court orders from different  

legal systems would be necessary to force them  to provide data however the statement should be  

taken with a grain of salt as there have been  numerous instances where telegram has complied  

with data requests related to you know extreme  situations not including you know trapping right  

but stories that are definitely concerning in  my opinion you know that should be push folks to  

start looking at more secure apps programs right  at the end of the day you know they also have  

lied to us in a number of different ways I mean  if you look at their you know frequently asked  

questions on their website you know they say that  they're they've shared zero bytes of information  

with law enforcement and that's just not true okay  so right here is I mean I mean look at this guys  

so so that so telegram is really lying to us in  terms of them saying Oh we spread it out I mean  

the German government they got that we're also  gonna I want to talk a little bit about Israel  

because there's this thing called like telegraphs  I think I don't know people have heard about this  

um you know but look at this right so you got the  five eyes nine eyes fourteen dollars right so this  

is why I think it's like this is why I think it's  important for us to like kind of address this now  

because once the incentive to really crack down on  people is there like the real actors if they will  

yeah right and Snapchat the the Snapchat ways  of this happen guys it happened but bro like  

what was that two two years ago when they yeah  literally hired the Attorney General to run  

their Ops their op SEC see it's important to note  that when it comes to maintaining opsec right the  

operational security against potential threats  such as government agencies it's not just about  

the FBI or the CIA it includes various other  departments from different governments that  

collaborate and share information and just you  just need one of those departments in one of  

these countries to really want to go after you  and because of these different treaties well  

it's going to happen right different countries all  collaborate under you know different enforcement  

treaties so telegram's data on servers located in  countries within the alliances like the 14 eyes  

Alliance can be easily accessed through subpoenas  in the courts now for example we saw that the  

German government really the German police were  able to get you know server data from telegram  

while we have also seen examples like telegraphs  which was an Israeli flower Network platform on  

the on the telegram app with over 200 000 plus  customers and where multiple people were arrested  

now when you look it up in that specific situation  they don't necessarily talk about telegram you  

know getting you know being the reason why they  are you know caught but you do it does raise some  

concern if you are just looking for a messenger  for you and your friends or your groups you  

look into Matrix because it is much better than  Telegram and it actually is what telegram pretends  

to be so let's talk about the things let's talk  about telegram's pretenses firstly people say that  

telegram is open source okay the telegram system  messaging system is open source it isn't okay they  

have open source clients that you can download on  your phone or download on your computer but they  

directly interact with a proprietary server side  that is entirely centralized right so there is  

one telegram botnet that everyone connects to and  it is not we have no idea what it is running okay  

even the source code for the desktop and mobile  clients is very slowly released so that you know  

that's another questionable thing but it's not you  know telegram is not in any meaningful sense open  

source it is not an open source system because  the the server side we don't know what it's doing  

doing secondly telegram is absolutely not into end  encrypted your messages all your group messages  

are totally readable by Telegram and basically all  of your private messages are readable by telegram  

they are not into end encrypted and what I mean  by that is end-to-end encryption means uh sending  

a message that only the intended recipient can  actually decrypt and read telegram does not work  

like that telegram invented their own kind of  encryption scheme where messages are encrypted  

to their server where they have the decryption key  and they can decrypt any group message or anything  

else and then messages are re-encrypted and sent  to the other person but telegram themselves can  

read anything okay that is on their server there  is no message you send over there that is going to  

be private okay and this is not the case in Matrix  and xmpp you can have truly end-to-end encrypted  

communication including groups it's a trivial  thing to do but telegram actually does not have  

that okay telegram can absolutely monitor your  chats now some people say ah well telegram does  

have the this ability to have end-to-end encrypted  chats and that is true there is an option for that  

but it's not used by many people and it only works  on mobile and it only works with one device at a  

time so you can't hook multiple mobile devices up  to it you can't um you know if someone sends you  

a message to you know your account on telegram  you can't read it on desktop if it's in into end  

encrypted because it doesn't work on the desktop  because telegram invented their own encryption  

scheme and they haven't figured everything  out with it right to be able to do this kind  

of stuff Matrix xmpp it works out of the box you  don't have to worry about it okay that that is  

something that they should not have to be dealing  with but you know that's how it is thirdly again  

uh uh L or excuse me telegram is it's it's not  it's not really open source in any meaningful  

sense it's not encrypted in any meaningful sense  and it's also not a good alternative alt Tech uh  

company because it's just a centralized system  in the same way that that Facebook or Twitter or  

any of these other communication platforms it's  definitely looking to sketch with telegram to a  

certain degree I mean imagine all the people that  run these huge telegram uh accounts and do and do  

business and don't know any better and and like  like how he said the the end-to-end encryption  

can only be that is true like that is only  on a person to person level you can't just  

like create a channel and then have 25 000  members that you're advertising whatever to  

um on an encrypted level like as soon as you  create a channel that's like that's visible  

100 dude 100 and um NLP says I want to say thank  you to LMC and the other gentlemen to have such  

concern for the traditional market for uh you  to go out of your way to make this video As  

Much appreciated oh you guys a couple of beers no  dude this is what it's all about though because  

like this is a like the traditional Market is a  check on the new Emerging Market illegal markets  

right you know a balance of power listen man  one way they're gonna knock it knock you out  

on this is this stuff specifically so we need  to make sure that people in traditional Market  

are fortified and ready for this and aren't you  know oblivious at the end of the day like I said  

definitely be very careful about this  moving forward in the future now like  

I said before we go on I just want to  say make sure to go check out Dr smoke  

if you want something to Puff on they got  tons of different high quality products it's  

100 legal ships to 50 states and you can  get a dope discount and support your boy  

here so go to drsmoke.com use my discount  code LMC to get 15 off your entire order  

so in conclusion while telegram offers certain  privacy features it falls short compared to apps  

like signal in terms of default encryption data  collection practices and transparency and also  

the reason I'm doing this video too is I really  want people to understand that people from the  

folks from the traditional Market need to  insulate themselves and you know really be  

equipping themselves with the best possible  you know encryption and privacy tools what are  

some of those tools you told me you know you  want I want you want to tell people about how  

they could you know strengthen the security  the offsack of their telegrams I want to go  

um so the the first thing I tell people is  to go to the App Store and it's on Google  

Play and it's on Apple download the app sideline  sign up for a free trial create a phone number  

um and this phone number the way sideline works  it don't do text now or text plus because the way  

their code Works um they are not approved to get  codes for verification when you sign up for for  

um platforms the sideline number does so  you can use a sideline number and then  

sign up for telegram and then you have no  connection to your name because if you use  

yeah your phone number yeah right there yep  if you use your phone number and you use them  

and you are a customer of a major cell phone  service provider like Verizon T-Mobile at T's  

um Etc then you know that's just subpoena away  your phone number equals your name if you use  

a big company like that so you want to in  my opinion 100 security is get a Straight  

Talk phone and then get a sideline number um  all while operating under a VPN that you buy  

from a third-party Source I shared with with LMC  anyone that's not familiar with hackforms.net.net

h-a-c-k-f-o-r-u-m-s DOT net it's been around  since forever um but uh you can go and buy a  

VPN from someone who has developed it on there  and that is a you know someone from our community  

quote unquote um verified trustworthy it's  not nordvpn it's not some huge company that  

makes millions of dollars a year and is afraid of  the government so they don't lose their Fortune  

um and and we'll and you know what doc honestly  I'll talk to you after this but I think I want to  

create some resources on my on the website and I  I got a newsletter coming out and stuff so we'll  

we'll have that all kind of organized for folks  that are you know really want to get that down  

and if you want to you know get an updated list on  this I'm gonna actually be putting on a newsletter  

here pretty soon so if you want to go to my  website it's lmc.news an old W pop-up make sure to  

join the email is join the newsletter and like I  said I don't condone any sort of illicit Behavior  

but at the same time I do think that people  are are operating operating in you know weird  

grade markets you know need to be looking  to secure their privacy and their future  

because it could potentially be coming anyways  guys I really appreciate you guys for rocking  

with me thank you so much for um sticking  to the end of the video if you guys are new  

to the Channel please hit the Subscribe button  please make you know drop a comment down below  

share this with anybody you know might find  this interesting definitely follow me on all  

social medias the links are down below in the  description anyways this is LMC signing out