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Telegram (software)

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Telegram
Developer(s)Telegram Messenger LLP
Initial releaseAugust 2013 (2013-08)
Stable release
Android10.13.2[1] Edit this on Wikidata / 3 June 2024; 11 days ago (3 June 2024)
iOS, iPadOS10.13[2] Edit this on Wikidata / 31 May 2024; 14 days ago (31 May 2024)
Windows, macOS, Linux
(Telegram Desktop)		5.1.3[3] Edit this on Wikidata / 4 June 2024; 10 days ago (4 June 2024)
macOS10.13.1[4] Edit this on Wikidata / 4 June 2024; 10 days ago (4 June 2024)
Repository
Operating systemGoogle Android, Apple iOS, Windows Phone, MS Windows, Linux, OS X
Available inEnglish, Arabic, Spanish, German, Italian, Korean, Dutch, Portuguese (Brazil & Portugal)
TypeInstant messaging
LicenseGPL v2 (client), closed source (server)
Websitewww.telegram.org

Telegram Messenger is a cross-platform instant messaging system whose clients are open source and servers are proprietary software. Telegram users can exchange encrypted and self-destructing messages, photos, videos and documents (all files types are supported). Telegram is officially available for Android and iOS (including tablets and devices without Wi-Fi) and for Windows Phone as a beta. Unofficial clients for Windows Phone, as well as a web version,[5] OS X version, Linux version and a Windows desktop client are also available from independent developers who make use of the Telegram API.[6][7]

History

Telegram was launched in 2013 by the brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, the founders of VK, Russia's largest social network.[8] Telegram Messenger LLP is an independent nonprofit company based in Berlin, Germany,[9] which is not connected to VK.[10] Nikolai created the new MTProto protocol that the messenger is based on, while Pavel provided financial support and infrastructure through his Digital Fortress fund.[11]

In October 2013, Telegram had 100,000 daily active users.[8] On 24 March 2014, Telegram announced that it has reached 35 million monthly users and 15 million daily active users.[12]

On December 21, 2013, a Russian IT-community user discovered a security problem in Telegram. The user was rewarded with a $100,000 USD bounty after it was fixed.[13]

On March 1, 2014 the first contest ended with no winners and Telegram published the keys necessary to decrypt traffic.[14][clarification needed] Telegram claims that challenges to break their crypto are a permanent feature of the project and announced that they are working on a new contest that would allow more active attacks.[14][15]

In November 2014 Telegram scored 5 out of 7 points on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's secure messaging scorecard.[16]

Features

Telegram software allows the sending of voice notes, photos, videos, and files of all types. It also has groups for up to 200 members.[17] Telegram uses a similar system of message read statuses to WhatsApp, with 1 check=sent, 2 checks=read (opened)[18]

Official and unofficial software for Telegram is available for many different platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.[19]

Telegram claims it is more secure than mass market messengers like WhatsApp and LINE. Conversations are encrypted with AES-256 using the MTProto protocol developed by Telegram[8][20][21]

The application features two types of chats. Ordinary chats use client-server encryption and can be accessed from multiple devices. Secret Chats use end-to-end encryption and can only be accessed from the two participating devices. Telegram claims that third parties, including the Telegram administrators, cannot get access to your messages.[22] Messages and media in Secret Chats can also be set to self-destruct in a set period of time after being read. Once the time runs out, the messages disappear from both devices.[23]

Architecture

Encryption

All chats are encrypted with the new MTProto protocol created by Nikolai Durov, regardless of type. This is based on 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, RSA 2048 encryption and Diffie–Hellman secure key exchange.[24]

Licensing

All official Telegram clients (and some of the unofficial clients) are open source.[25] Telegram's server-side software, however, is closed source proprietary software. Pavel Durov mentioned that the server code is not free software, because Telegram requires a major redesign of architecture in order to allow independent servers to exchange data and act as a part of the unified Telegram cloud.[26] In their FAQ, Telegram says "All code will be released [ie open sourced] eventually. We started with the most useful parts — a well-documented API that allows developers to build new Telegram apps, and open source clients that can be verified by security specialists."[27]

Security concerns

Several members of the cryptographic community, including security researchers Moxie Marlinspike and Taylor Hornby, have criticized Telegram's cryptanalysis contests for being no proof of security and misleading the public.[28][29][30][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Telegram". Google Play. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  2. ^ "Telegram Messenger". App Store. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  3. ^ "Releases v5.1.3". Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  4. ^ "Telegram for macOS". Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  5. ^ "Webogram".
  6. ^ "List of Telegram applications". February 6, 2014.
  7. ^ "Che cosa è Telegram, Squer.it" (in Italian).
  8. ^ a b c "Meet Telegram, A Secure Messaging App From The Founders Of VK, Russia's Largest Social Network". TechCrunch. October 27, 2013.
  9. ^ "Surveillance drives South Koreans to encrypted messaging apps". The Verge. October 7, 2014.
  10. ^ [1]
  11. ^ "Russia's Zuckerberg launches Telegram, a new instant messenger service". Reuters. August 30, 2013.
  12. ^ Telegram Hits 35M Monthly Users, 15M Daily With 8B Messages Received Over 30 Days, TechCrunch, March 24, 2014
  13. ^ "Crowdsourcing a More Secure Future". Telegram blog. December 21, 2013. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Winter Contest Ends". Telegram blog. March 2, 2014. Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  15. ^ "Telegram Contest FAQ". Retrieved March 3, 2014.
  16. ^ "Secure Messaging Scorecard. Which apps and tools actually keep your messages safe?". Electronic Frontier Foundation. November 4, 2014.
  17. ^ "Should WhatsApp be wary of Telegram?". February 13, 2014.
  18. ^ Telegram F.A.Q.: What do the green ticks mean?, February 23, 2014
  19. ^ List of Telegram applications, retrieved February 23, 2014
  20. ^ Telegram F.A.Q.: How secure is Telegram?
  21. ^ Description of MTProto Mobile Protocol
  22. ^ "New instant messenger Telegram protected even from spy intrusions". VentureBeat. November 12, 2013.
  23. ^ "Telegram FAQ". Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  24. ^ Telegram technical FAQ for Advanced users
  25. ^ Telegram source code links, retrieved February 12, 2013
  26. ^ "Pavel Durov: "No application is 100% safe"", El Diario Turing, February 2, 2014, retrieved February 12, 2014
  27. ^ "Telegram FAQ". Telegram. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
  28. ^ Moxie Marlinspike (December 19, 2013). "A Crypto Challenge For The Telegram Developers". Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  29. ^ Taylor Hornby (December 19, 2013). "Telegram's Cryptanalysis Contest". Crypto Fails. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  30. ^ Robin Wauters (December 19, 2013). "Cracking contest: first one who breaks Telegram gets $200,000 in bitcoins (but really, nobody wins)". Tech.eu. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  31. ^ Thijs Alkemade (April 2, 2014). "Breaking Half of the Telegram Contest". Retrieved April 2, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Telegram Messenger.

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