A Russian Telegram channel with over 700,000 followers is spreading disinformation about Russia's invasion of Ukraine under the guise of providing "objective information" and fact-checking fake news. Its influence extends beyond the platform, with major Russian publications, government officials, and journalists citing the page's posts. He adds: "Telegram has become my primary news source." If you initiate a Secret Chat, however, then these communications are end-to-end encrypted and are tied to the device you are using. That means itโs less convenient to access them across multiple platforms, but you are at far less risk of snooping. Back in the day, Secret Chats received some praise from the EFF, but the fact that its standard system isnโt as secure earned it some criticism. If youโre looking for something that is considered more reliable by privacy advocates, then Signal is the EFFโs preferred platform, although that too is not without some caveats. Again, in contrast to Facebook, Google and Twitter, Telegram's founder Pavel Durov runs his company in relative secrecy from Dubai. Since its launch in 2013, Telegram has grown from a simple messaging app to a broadcast network. Its user base isnโt as vast as WhatsAppโs, and its broadcast platform is a fraction the size of Twitter, but itโs nonetheless showing its use. While Telegram has been embroiled in controversy for much of its life, it has become a vital source of communication during the invasion of Ukraine. But, if all of this is new to you, let us explain, dear friends, what on Earth a Telegram is meant to be, and why you should, or should not, need to care.
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