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Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

telegra.ph

121–130 of 179 posts

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#121
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I kinda doubt that part. If he was in their good graces again I think we'd hear more about it But I think Russia is a much bigger market for Telegram than Iran was. It's where they started after all. I'm pretty sure that'll play a part in it too. Easy thing to throw away 0.5% of your marketshare, another when it's 20%. Ps I made those numbers up :)

When Russia wanted some kind of encryption keys he could not hand over because they dont exist, Telegram was banned in Russia but people found ways to use it anyway. So I dont think Russia has anything to "force" Durov other than via Apple/Google. He doesn't live there or owns anything there and according to past posts of him and there are no Telegram servers there either. + The proxy stuff to circumvent Russia's ban…

There is a sideloaded version of Telegram for Android which can be installed from it's website and even is able to auto-update itself. It allows access to content blocked on iOS. But it was unable to access voting bot.

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#122
post #70

While Telegram is seen as a "wild west" of free speech by many, its centralization and worrying lack of encryption for most "non-secret" chats is something to keep in mind when reading Durov's passionate claims. - https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-encryption-whatsapp-set... - https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/amp/multiple-encryption-f... Also, the optional E2EE encryption is way more limited (e.g., single-device,…

Signal made their server code closed source for over a year while they added a scam cryptocurrency coin that has a financial conflict of interest with the creator of the project. They claimed to be "open source" while this was happening.

More recently, they've had egregious bugs such as images being sent to random contacts in your list, an absolutely inexcusable error.

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#123
post #30

Here is the thing: Durov lies. There is no law in Russia which forces him to ban that channel, and no concept of “silent days” anymore. Russian authorities has NEVER asked Telegram to remove anything. They pushed Google and Apple to remove links to Navalny application from search and from Apple Store (and Apple removes it only for Russia users, btw, unlike Telegram removes it for everyone), and Telegram was absolutel…

what you wrote in the first part is incorrect. The law that prohibits campaigning during the election is still very much there, just like in many other countries, just not one day in advance like it used to be - this is debunked in the other thread - https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4800223 Btw, strange you didn't quote any sources for your claim - just a claim. > Russian authorities has NEVER asked Telegram to remove a…

Do you read Nexta recently? It became a travel news feed with videos of Canaries volcano and ads.

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#124
post #108
post #70

While Telegram is seen as a "wild west" of free speech by many, its centralization and worrying lack of encryption for most "non-secret" chats is something to keep in mind when reading Durov's passionate claims. - https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-encryption-whatsapp-set... - https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/amp/multiple-encryption-f... Also, the optional E2EE encryption is way more limited (e.g., single-device,…

There are no good smartphone messaging apps. XMPP with OMEMO is the best you can do currently.

It's not. It doesn't work with iOS in practice and requires you to verify each single session instead of just a the people to prevent MITM attacks. Afaik it does not have any audit either

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#126
post #122
post #70

While Telegram is seen as a "wild west" of free speech by many, its centralization and worrying lack of encryption for most "non-secret" chats is something to keep in mind when reading Durov's passionate claims. - https://www.wired.com/story/telegram-encryption-whatsapp-set... - https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/amp/multiple-encryption-f... Also, the optional E2EE encryption is way more limited (e.g., single-device,…

Signal made their server code closed source for over a year while they added a scam cryptocurrency coin that has a financial conflict of interest with the creator of the project. They claimed to be "open source" while this was happening. More recently, they've had egregious bugs such as images being sent to random contacts in your list, an absolutely inexcusable error.

But the server code doesn't mean anything the most important thing is E2EE happen on device and the server is just a messenger. Signal is the most trusted app in authoritarian countries.

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#127
post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Remove it and replace it with what exactly?! Telegram remains the only mainstream free speech platform on the web today, with the least amount of censorship and the most resiliency against being taken down.

there is matrix, the best option, both secure and reasonably well made(element and alternative clients), but it miles behind telegram in terms of UI/UX even though it's on par with whatsapp/signal/etc

Is it? I just tried Telegram again today and something as basic as joining a public channel from the app itself (as opposed to clicking on a link) was seemingly unavailable, or at least hidden well enough that I was unable to find it.

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#128
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would pick encrypted Telegram over Signal anyday, but I believe that decentralized solutions with open source backends, like MaidSAFE, Freenet, and to some extent Matrix.org are the future.

Matrix share metadata by default. Count them out. And they have no desire to switch from their Python based server.

You say "share metadata" like this is meaningful without specifying what is meant by that exactly.

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#129
post #19
post #12

A very objective article, actually, and goes well to explain how this request to block the "voting app" isn't at all as controversial as portrayed in the Western MSM: > Second, this particular demand of the Russian authorities wasn't obviously unconstitutional, as they referred to a law that restricts campaigning after people start casting their votes. Laws against political campaigning while voting is underway exist…

But Telegram doesn't distribute apps, they blocked a "user" related to the app from using their network. The article does seem very reasonable, but I'd disagree that it's objective, since the author, Durov, runs Telegram and is writing to justify their actions.

How does the author running telegram make the argument not objective? Would the same argument made by someone else be objective?

Re: Why Telegram had to follow Apple and Google when they suspended a voting app

#130
post #12

A very objective article, actually, and goes well to explain how this request to block the "voting app" isn't at all as controversial as portrayed in the Western MSM: > Second, this particular demand of the Russian authorities wasn't obviously unconstitutional, as they referred to a law that restricts campaigning after people start casting their votes. Laws against political campaigning while voting is underway exist…

I agree. And I love that Durov carefully says > Telegram gives its users more freedom of speech than any other popular mobile application. (emphasis added by me)

That's just to stop the Well Ackshually's of the world presenting their 500 peak user end-to-end encrypted chat platforms.

It doesn't count when you're too small for anyone to bother taking you to court.

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