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. If you’re interested in their thoughts on other messaging apps, you can visit our guides to Is WhatsApp Safe? and Is Signal safe?Īntony 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. We reached out to security experts to learn more about Telegram, end-to-end encryption and how the app deals with your data. The app also has an ongoing bug bounty programme in place to reward anyone who can spot a big enough flaw in Telegram’s app or protocol. Telegram is so confident its messages can’t be deciphered that it’s actually run contests in the past challenging users to try to crack its encryption with a $300,000 prize at stake. Up your cybersecurity with NordVPN – Now 62% off plus a random gift of either 3 months or 1 year extra subscription with every purchase. The app even has a Bot API, allowing developers to create their own bots for their chats. Telegram is a free messaging app that works across multiple devices, offering no limits on media sizes, end-to-end encryption via “secret chats” and a whopping 200,000 person group chat capacity. But, is Telegram any better at handing your data? Telegram is a messaging app that surged in popularity in 2021 after WhatsApp announced changes to its privacy policy that would allow it to share information with parent company Meta.

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