Telegram has nearly a billion users and the reputation of a “secure” messenger. Those two things fit together poorly — for two reasons.
Myth 1: Telegram isn't encrypted by default
First things first: normal Telegram chats, groups and channels are not end-to-end encrypted. They are stored “cloud”-encrypted on Telegram's servers — which means the provider technically has access. Only the optional “Secret Chats” are truly end-to-end encrypted, and they exist for one-to-one chats only, never for groups or channels. The vast majority of users never turn them on. Anyone who thinks “Telegram is encrypted, right?” is mistaken for everyday use.
Myth 2: Telegram doesn't hand over data
That may once have been true — it no longer is. In August 2024, Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested and charged in France; a central accusation was the lack of cooperation with authorities (Telegram had allegedly responded to judicial requests “almost not at all”). Shortly after, in September 2024, Telegram changed its privacy policy: it now discloses the IP addresses and phone numbers of suspects to law enforcement — on a valid court order and after internal review. Previously this applied only to terrorism suspicions; now it covers a broad range of crimes (cybercrime, illegal trade, fraud).
The numbers speak for themselves
Up to the end of September 2024, Telegram (terrorism only) had fulfilled just 14 requests covering 108 users. After that it exploded: between October and December 2024 alone, the number of fulfilled requests rose to around 900 — and climbing steeply. Durov claims “little has changed.” The numbers say otherwise.
In context: worse than its reputation
Recall the ProtonMail case: there the provider could not read the content (end-to-end encrypted) and was only compelled, under a specific court order, to hand over metadata. With Telegram, the standard chats aren't end-to-end encrypted at all — and data disclosure is now broad. So Telegram fares worse than many assume. To be fair: this opening up is a legitimate response to legal pressure — but it shows exactly what you cannot rely on.
What this means for you
- Use a messenger that is end-to-end encrypted by default — not just optionally. And one that doesn't require a phone number as an identity anchor. That's exactly what VOID is (Matrix, our own no-logging server, no federation). The direct comparison: VOID vs. Signal, WhatsApp & Threema.
- Minimise metadata: what is never collected can't be handed over — more on this in Metadata: what your messenger reveals.
- Harden the device: a degoogled system as the foundation — the SaferPhone models with GrapheneOS.
Conclusion
Telegram is a good broadcast and community service — but not a private messenger. Standard chats aren't end-to-end encrypted, and since autumn 2024 IP addresses and phone numbers flow to the authorities on request. If you need confidentiality, rely on genuine end-to-end encryption by default and metadata minimalism — not on a good reputation.