How to privately/anonymously use Telegram? \ stacker news ~privacy

How to privately/anonymously use Telegram?

10.9k sats \ 36 comments \ @Signal312 27 Apr privacy

In the past I haven't been very privacy conscious, but now I'm looking to improve. What are some tips on how to use Telegram? There's groups on there that I need to communicate with.

What are the risks? I assume using your phone number is a bad idea. Is getting a new phone number difficult?

Info would be much appreciated!

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70 sats \ 2 replies \ @ZezzebbulTheMysterious 28 Apr

It’s not possible to communicate with groups privately with telegram. Only mobile 1:1 secret chats are an encrypted. Nobody uses it.

Telegram is not private, not secure, and all your message history is sitting on their servers. Yes it’s encrypted at rest, but they have keys.

Ditch telegram, signal is what you want.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Signal312 OP 28 Apr

Yes, but it doesn't really matter what I want or think. Well-established, large groups are there, offering support on topics that I need help with.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ZezzebbulTheMysterious 28 Apr

You wanted to understand the risks. The risk is that everything you say to anyone on telegram will be recorded and used against you.

Unless its a secret chat and your counterparty does not leak the messages, or back them up anywhere.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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34 sats \ 5 replies \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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21 sats \ 4 replies \ @Signal312 OP 28 Apr

I thought that as well about Discord, some people are really down on it. But then there's groups that really seem like they must be very privacy aware, that are on Discord, so maybe I'm missing something?

I'm not looking for ultimate privacy. Just don't want to do anything really dumb, but I probably am.

And good to know that there's a security forum as well!

4 sats \ 0 replies \ @clownworld 29 Apr

Discord voluntarily (not even under subpoena) gave all their logs to the lawyers who sued the protesters at Charlottesville.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @om 28 Apr

But then there's groups that really seem like they must be very privacy aware, that are on Discord, so maybe I'm missing something?

I don't think they are very privacy aware there.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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17 sats \ 9 replies \ @kristapsk 27 Apr

Is getting a new phone number difficult?

Depends from a country. In Latvia I can just go into shop, pay 3 EUR or something and get new prepaid SIM card anonymously.

There is eSIM option globally, where you can pay with Bitcoin, but haven't tried it. https://silent.link/

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @BitcoinGroyper 28 Apr freebie

I've used Silent Link before and it was absolutely perfect. Flawless payment (I've used Monero and Bitcoin with it) and receiving/setting up the eSim was simple on my Pixel. Would highly recommend the service to anyone looking for a private no-KYC phone number.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @mudbloodvonfrei 28 Apr

I second this! I used them for a trip abroad, mostly just to avoid the hassle of buying a physical sim. Might have been my first use of LN outside of SN zaps.

34 sats \ 2 replies \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Signal312 OP 28 Apr

Ah, but I do. GrapheneOS...

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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0 sats \ 3 replies \ @0xIlmari 28 Apr

You can still have anon SIMs up there? I was under the impression that "burners" were banned throughout the EU (because terrorists, oh my).

Sure, you can buy a SIM preloaded with credits in a grocery store, but where I live, they require a subsequent KYC activation through the carrier's website.

20 sats \ 2 replies \ @kristapsk 28 Apr

https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/no-right-to-anonymous-communications-european-court-of-human-rights-rubber-stamps-mandatory-sim-card-registration-laws/

Still available in some countries. And roaming is free within EU. So you can buy card in, let's say, Latvia, and then use in other EU country.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @0xIlmari 28 Apr

I see, good to know.

But still, while roaming was mandated to be free and easy within the EU, the carriers were allowed to have a limit to their "leniency", like 180 days, after which they could disable a SIM as having permanently moved to another country, and not simply roaming? Or is that outdated info on my part too? I can't find the details.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @kristapsk 28 Apr

Yes, they can, but not always they do. And you can just switch to a new card then.

28 sats \ 0 replies \ @037447d9ca 28 Apr

use tor.
use a FOSS client.
buy a disposable number for every contact/group so as to not leak your social graph. (this is expensive)
use it for minimal discussion and move the conversation elsewhere asap

100 sats \ 1 reply \ @Natalia 28 Apr

Easy steps:

choose any number here https://sms4sats.com/
use that number to register on telegram

Done! but one tip: you might got a number that was used for spam before if you are unlucky, which might lead to your Telegram account being flagged as a spam account, other than that, not much big issues.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @clownworld 29 Apr

Yeah that’s level 1. Then you can use TOR to hide your IP if you’re being super careful, and add autodelete rules to your channels.

1 sat \ 2 replies \ @Coinsreporter 28 Apr

You can use a dummy (fake) number..

https://anonymsms.com/number/447469052346/

11 sats \ 1 reply \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 28 Apr

Yes, you're 👍. I must have figured it out already.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 OP 29 Apr

Wow, thanks for the sats! I guess lots of people are interested in this...

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @KLT 28 Apr

Isn’t Signal or SimpleX a better option than telegram in terms of privacy?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @niltempus 28 Apr

I don't trust Telegram with confidential information, although I prefer the "newsfeed" over other social platforms.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @MiddleWay 28 Apr

travel to a third-world country to buy a sim card with no id. register telegram account with it. use vpn.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @03365d6a53 28 Apr

you can't

use Simplex instead

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 28 Apr

Im not sure any of these sms systems are ever private. You hear of hacks and leaks happening all the time. All it takes is one screenshot and all your privacy is wiped out. The only way to actually have privacy is to wipe as much shit off the internet you can, and stay off the internet. Can you actually do that though? Would you enjoy your life if you cut off all internet access? Not many can do it.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @nullcount 28 Apr

The Telegram founder will sell you an NFT that you can use to sign up for telegram without a phone number

https://www.theverge.com/2022/12/7/23498236/telegram-fragment-phone-number-crypto-verification-monetization

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @om 28 Apr

You have to have a phone number already to buy such an NFT. Exactly because they don't mean it as a way to have privacy.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Hamstr 28 Apr

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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @eh1992mm 28 Apr outlawed

stackers have outlawed this. turn on wild west mode in your /settings to see outlawed content.