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Iranian officials are no longer allowed to use Telegram
During protests and demonstrations back in December, Iran blocked messaging and social media apps such as Telegram and Instagram. The government claimed it was to "maintain peace," but it became clear that they were trying to prevent the protestors from communicating and documenting what was happening. But now, it looks as though Iran has taken the campaign against Telegram one step further: The country has banned government officials from using the service.
Russia stops at nothing to silence Telegram
The protracted fight between the Russian government and encrypted messaging app Telegram is coming to an end. Last week, the country's court granted a request for the app to be banned, enabling officials to begin work on booting it out of the country. Then, yesterday Roskomnadzor, Russia's equivalent of the FCC, began telling mobile networks that they had to block access to Telegram.
France creates secure chat app to keep its president off Telegram
Telegram is about to lose some more customers following the Russia ban, albeit for very different reasons. The French government is testing an encrypted messaging app that would keep officials' data on servers inside the country. It's worried about the "potential breaches" that could happen if data was encrypted in the US or Russia, and it's easy to see why. Between Russia's demand for Telegram encryption keys and Facebook's data sharing scandal, France is concerned that sensitive chats could end up in the wrong hands.
Telegram banned in Russia following court ruling
Russian authorities have been threatening to ban Telegram since 2017 due to its developers' repeated refusal to give them access to users' data. Well, they can soon make good on that threat now that a Moscow court has officially issued a ban on the secure messaging application. It all started when KGB successor Federal Security Service (FSB) demanded access to Telegram's decryption keys last year. FSB wants those keys so it can read user messages, apparently as part of its anti-terror measures.
Russia is getting closer to banning Telegram
Today, the Russian government filed a lawsuit to limit the messaging app Telegram domestically, the latest move in an escalating battle between the two. Roskomnadzor, the Russian media regulator, claimed in court that Telegram was not in compliance with its legal obligations and characterized the messaging service as an "organizer of information distribution," according to Reuters. Pavel Chikov, Telegram's lawyer, has already responded to the suit, saying that it is "groundless," the BBC reports.
Telegram loses appeal over encryption keys in Russia
The dispute between Russia and Telegram has become something of a saga, but today Telegram was dealt a blow. The messaging service wanted to prevent the Federal Security Service (FSB, the successor to the KGB) from accessing user data on its platform. Now, according to Bloomberg, Telegram has lost the case before the Russian Supreme Court.
You've got an hour to unsend messages on WhatsApp
Sometimes you need more than seven minutes to unsend a message on WhatsApp. Thankfully, with the most recent update, now we do. The most recent patch (2.18.31) extends the "delete for everyone" period to one hour, eight minutes and 16 seconds according to a tweet from the messaging service. Is that oddly specific amount of time a reference to anything? It seems like it is, but as far as we know, it isn't. We do know one thing for sure: Telegram users have 48 hours to delete a message and save face before anyone else sees it, so WhatsApp still has some catching up to do. Both are still more generous than GMail's 30-second unsend feature though.
Attackers used Telegram to deliver cryptocurrency-mining malware
Kaspersky Lab says it spotted evidence of a vulnerability in the desktop version of Telegram that allowed attackers to install cryptocurrency mining malware on users' computers. The zero-day exploit was used to trick Telegram users into downloading malicious files, which could then be used to deliver cryptocurrency mining software and spyware. According to Kaspersky, those behind the exploit used the computers their malware had been installed on to mine digital currencies like Monero, Zcash, Fantomcoin and others. Kaspersky also says it found a stolen cache of Telegram data on one of the attackers' servers.
Apple briefly pulled Telegram over child pornography distribution
When Apple temporarily pulled Telegram from the App Store over "inappropriate content," it left many wondering just what that content was. We now know: 9to5Mac has learned that the company removed the app after discovering that people had been distributing child pornography through the app. Apple both contacted Telegram's team and authorities (including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) to both address the specific violation and to ensure that there were "more controls" in place to prevent a repeat.
Apple removes Telegram from App Store due to inappropriate content (updated)
Telegram and an experimental app called Telegram X that the company announced for Android yesterday have been removed from Apple's App Store, 9to5Mac reports. A Reddit user posted about the absence yesterday. While one Redditor said Telegram support had told them that the removal was unintended and both apps should be back in the store sometime soon, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov tweeted that the removals were intentional. He said, "We were alerted by Apple that inappropriate content was made available to our users and both apps were taken off the App Store." He added that the apps would be available again once protections were put into place.
Telegram targeted by fake apps that serve malware and ads
Make sure you check an app's name before you download it: Telegram, for instance, had an evil twin on Google Play named "Teligram." According to Symantec, which discovered its existence, its profile and description on the store mirrored the authentic app's, with the only difference being the slightly altered logo. It was also branded as "New version updated" in an effort to fool users into thinking it's the new version of Telegram. And it probably could've fooled people, too, since it actually works as a messaging platform.
Telegram's desktop update adds design tweaks and custom themes (update)
Telegram offers several ways to access its encrypted message service on laptops and PCs: There's the pared-down web version, a Mac offering, and the all-encompassing desktop app. Now, thanks to a major update, the desktop version is ready to supersede its counterparts.
Telegram for Android now supports multiple accounts
Telegram has been busy parrying government attempts to collect user data over the past year, but it hasn't forgotten its users. It's ushering in 2018 with a handful of offerings you'll likely find helpful if it's your chat app of choice, starting with the ability to support multiple accounts on Android. The latest version of Telegram for the platform supports up to three accounts with different phone numbers. You can quickly switch between them on the side menu, but you'll get notifications for all of them regardless of which one's active.
Iran blocks internet services in bid to quash protests
It's a busy weekend for oppressive governments trying to suppress digital communication. Iran has blocked mobile access to at least Telegram and Instagram as it tries to thwart protests that started over economic concerns (particularly inflation), but have extended into broader resistance to the government and clerical rule. Officials claim the censorship is meant to "maintain peace," but the argument doesn't hold water. Telegram founder Pavel Durov noted that his company refused to shut down "peacefully protesting channels," and Instagram is primarily being used to document protests -- Iran clearly doesn't want to reveal the extent of the demonstrations.
Telegram suspends channel for encouraging violent Iran protests
Iran is currently engulfed in demonstrations: many are protesting the clerical leadership, corruption and increasing costs of living, while counter-protestors are trying to protect the regime. And Telegram finds itself caught in the middle. The chat service has suspended the Amadnews channel after it started encouraging subscribers to lob Molotov cocktails at police, breaking the company's policy against calls for violence. The move came after Iran telecoms minister Mohammad-Javad Azari Jahromi complained to company founder Pavel Durov, who said Telegram would have to block the channel if it was promoting violence as claimed.
Facebook Messenger's money transfer tool is heading to the UK
Back in 2015, Facebook introduced the ability to send money to friends through Messenger and now it has brought that capability to UK users. It's the first time Facebook has launched the feature outside of the US.
Afghanistan won’t ban WhatsApp or Telegram after all
Last week, reports circulated that the government of Afghanistan was aiming to enact a ban on popular encrypted messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology sent letters to private telecommunications companies asking them to disable the apps, and copies of those letters quickly began making the rounds on social media. That caused a hefty amount of pushback from the public and spurred some to question the stability of citizens' freedom of expression. However, as Reuters reports, the Afghan government has now stated that there will not be a ban on either messaging service.
Afghanistan government wants to temporarily ban WhatsApp
According to reports from the New York Times, Afghanistan is currently in the midst of a temporary WhatsApp ban. Yesterday, government letters to private telecommunications companies asking them to suspend the messaging service began making the rounds on social media. And while some customers of the government-owned communications company Salaam Telecom reported that WhatsApp and Telegram had both stopped working for them, private companies are reportedly still considering whether to comply with the government's request.
Telegram fined after refusing to provide user data to Russia
Back in June, we reported on the struggles that messaging app Telegram was having with the Russian government. Russia asked Telegram to hand over confidential user data because it claimed terrorists have been using the service to plan attacks. Now, the latest update in their saga is here. The Meshchansky Court of Moscow fined Telegram 800,000 rubles (the equivalent of about $14,000) for failure to provide the Russian government with decryption keys to user messages.
Privacy-focused Telegram can share your location in real time
Telegram is big on privacy, but that doesn't mean you always want to keep things hush-hush -- in fact, you may want to reveal exactly what you're up to. Appropriately, the company just updated its Android and iOS apps with an option for live location sharing. Turn it on and everyone in a chat can see where you are in real time for as little as 15 minutes or as long as 8 hours. As you might imagine, that could be more than a little helpful if you're meeting up with someone or want to know when your friends get home.
