But because group chats and the channel features are not end-to-end encrypted, Galperin said user privacy is potentially under threat. Artem Kliuchnikov and his family fled Ukraine just days before the Russian invasion. False news often spreads via public groups, or chats, with potentially fatal effects. Right now the digital security needs of Russians and Ukrainians are very different, and they lead to very different caveats about how to mitigate the risks associated with using Telegram. For Ukrainians in Ukraine, whose physical safety is at risk because they are in a war zone, digital security is probably not their highest priority. They may value access to news and communication with their loved ones over making sure that all of their communications are encrypted in such a manner that they are indecipherable to Telegram, its employees, or governments with court orders. WhatsApp, a rival messaging platform, introduced some measures to counter disinformation when Covid-19 was first sweeping the world.
from ua
