14 DAY TRIAL // Popular messaging app Telegram seems to have a bit of a privacy issue due to one of its features.
According to researchers from Fidelis Cybersecurity, Telegram may very well have a privacy problem by exposing their users to scammers.
One of the main reasons someone would use Telegram is the encryption option it offers to Android and iOS users. At the same time, when you sign up for Telegram, the app will scan your contact list and notify you of other people you know that are members of the app. Here lies the privacy problem - if your phone number is in someone's contact list, and that person is on Telegram, they'll also be told when you join the service.
"If a scammer signs up for Telegram and already had your phone number in their contact list, it will also notify them that you also have Telegram," the post reads. "So in addition to connecting you to your friends and contacts, the app will also connect scammers directly to you. Likewise, if you have scammers' numbers in your contact list for some reason, you will get push notifications when they join Telegram."
This seems to be a rising problem since the security company noticed that more and more telemarketing scammers are signing up for the service. Even worse, there's no way to prevent other people from knowing you use Telegram.
Additional issues
The risk grows even more when you take into account the uses for this particular feature for third parties. For instance, intelligence agencies consider this type of apps a "risk factor." Basically, if you want to protect your privacy, they think you have something to hide. Then, the same assumption could be made by border control officers, and we've all seen what is happening in American airports.
But the problem isn't just with Telegram because it's certainly not the only app that uses this technique to link you to your friends who are also using the service. In fact, Skype or even Instant messaging tools do the same thing.
The difference between Telegram and other messaging tools is the fact that with the first you expect a bit more privacy due to the encryption levels it offers.