[discardedrefuse]

> Telegram disguises itself as encrypted chat app

No. It doesn't. This sentiment is pretty much confined to HN and seems to stem from the whole Moxie non-sense from years ago.

Telegram is a so much more than a messenger. It competes with WeChat, not Signal. It has an incredible API, bots, payments, apps/games, and is host to Onlyfans / Discord-like social groups.

It's time to stop parroting this idea that Telegram is some kind of secure messenger. Yes, it has secret chats, but that is not Telegram's defining feature.

[ls15]

On telegram.org under "Why Telegram" it says:

  * Simple
  * _Private_
  * Synced
  * Fast
  * Powerful
  * Open
  * Secure
  * Social
  * Expressive

According to Telegram's own priorization, privacy is its second most defining feature after simplicity.

It is not by accident that people think that Telegram is focussed on privacy.

[discardedrefuse]

> According to Telegram's own priorization,

If you're going to be that puerile then... I had to scroll past their list of available clients and their recent news section to get to this "Why Telegram" section that first mentions the word "private". So clearly, that far down the page, its not a priority.

Back in reality: The word "private" can mean anything. Every app and website that uses https claims to have privacy and security. If you bother to read their FAQ (which is always at the top of the page and, according to your logic, must be very important), there is a detailed explanation of exactly what is and isn't encrypted.

https://telegram.org/faq#security

I can already hear you typing, "but the average person doesn't read FAQs!" Well, the average person doesn't know or care about e2ee either. And the average person doesn't think Telegram is any more or less private than Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Twitter DMs, SMS, or email. The average person just doesn't think about privacy in this way.

[ls15]

What does "Why Telegram" describe if not their mission?

[benhurmarcel]

https://imgur.com/a/2D7qlya

[discardedrefuse]

If you go to GMail's landing page the first word you see is the word "Secure". There's a picture of a lock and shield. It says "Email that's secure, private..." Therefore, if I use Gmail all my email must be e2ee!

[ls15]

What does "heavily encrypted" even mean?