WhatsApp vs Telegram - Features and security compared

[Hanno Labuschagne]

WhatsApp vs Telegram - Features and security compared

WhatsApp users have until 15 May to decide whether they want to accept Facebook's new terms of service and privacy policy for the platform, or stop using the mobile instant messaging app.

Facebook first issued its ultimatum in the first week of January, initially giving users until 8 February 2021 to agree to the new terms and privacy policy.

However, Facebook extended the deadline following widespread backlash over concerns from users that WhatsApp user data would be shared with the Facebook social network.

 

[Johnatan56]

Whatsapps other weakness is that you need to trust the app, just because what they send is e2e encrypted to the other phone does not mean they can't send unencrypted stuff to FB servers, and they already got caught for this.

Kind of important to also mention that Telegram group voice chat acts kinda like discord, can just jump on and off.

Then that the desktop client does not need the phone to send through, so your phone does not need to be awake and connected to net to send/receive.

Would say signal is best if default very privacy conscious, but if want features with secret chats when you truly want something private, then telegram is better.

 

[Fulcrum29]

I see the article didn't explore the APIs and payment (and banking) integrations. It is worthwhile to explore, as well as to determine what is exposed with third-party integration. This is part to the direction into which these three mediums will move in to monetise their respective ecosystems.

This is ignoring that Facebook wants to inter opt Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, sharing the e-commerce and payment system within their own ecosystem.

 

[Bryn]

It would be so nice if people abandoned WhatsApp en masse for Telegram. It's better in pretty much every way, especially with group sizes, admin control and having an independent, non-tethered desktop app.

Fortunately enough people use Telegram already that it's my main messaging app, but uninstalling WhatsApp isn't a possibility yet.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Also, there was case a few months ago, where people could get messages from WA desktop version (WA PC app), because the WA messages wasn't stored as encrypted on the PC. Doesn't look like end to end encryption, means that it stores it encrypted....or is it?
Also, Telegram's is open source, WA is not. So no-one really know what nefarious code is hiding inside WA's app.

 

[Bryn]

Also, there was case a few months ago, where people could get messages from WA desktop version (WA PC app), because the WA messages wasn't stored as encrypted on the PC. Doesn't look like end to end encryption, means that it stores it encrypted....or is it?
Also, Telegram's is open source, WA is not. So no-one really know what nefarious code is hiding inside WA's app.

Also, one company is a non-profit and the other is Facebook. I'm not sure how anyone thinks there's a serious privacy comparison to be had here...

 

[elvis_presley]

Whatsapps other weakness is that you need to trust the app

Any mobile app has this weakness, unfortunately.

Then that the desktop client does not need the phone to send through, so your phone does not need to be awake and connected to net to send/receive.

This is actually the chink it Telegram's armour; it's because of this that the messages are held on it server in an accessible manner.

Nobody seems to speak about how bad Telegram's T&C's are - they can share any of their data with their parent company, and I couldn't find T&C's for that - so effectively Telegram as an overall entity has no privacy or T&C's on your data.

 

[Danie_V]

Good article. Also important to expand on the Telegram username in that it is the only one of the three that allows you to hide your phone number, and give out a username to add as a contact. Also Telegram has a very good API and Bots system for easy creation of channels with automation in them (free of charge).

 

[Bryn]

Any mobile app has this weakness, unfortunately.



This is actually the chink it Telegram's armour; it's because of this that the messages are held on it server in an accessible manner.

Nobody seems to speak about how bad Telegram's T&C's are - they can share any of their data with their parent company, and I couldn't find T&C's for that - so effectively Telegram as an overall entity has no privacy or T&C's on your data.

Telegram FAQ

This FAQ provides answers to basic questions about Telegram. Check out our Advanced FAQ for more technical information.…

telegram.org

Messages are not held on Telegram's servers in an accessible manner.

From the above link:

To protect the data that is not covered by end-to-end encryption, Telegram uses a distributed infrastructure. Cloud chat data is stored in multiple data centers around the globe that are controlled by different legal entities spread across different jurisdictions. The relevant decryption keys are split into parts and are never kept in the same place as the data they protect. As a result, several court orders from different jurisdictions are required to force us to give up any data.

Thanks to this structure, we can ensure that no single government or block of like-minded countries can intrude on people's privacy and freedom of expression. Telegram can be forced to give up data only if an issue is grave and universal enough to pass the scrutiny of several different legal systems around the world.

To this day, we have disclosed 0 bytes of user data to third parties, including governments.

 

[Arthur]

Personally, when it comes to messaging systems I'm less concerned about privacy than I am about the wokery and incipient political imperialism of the big global players. I just don't want my presence as a user to support organisations that drive political and social views that I think are antithetical to liberty rightly understood. I also accept that perfection does not lie this side of the grave, ever

 

[DA-LION-619]

Also, there was case a few months ago, where people could get messages from WA desktop version (WA PC app), because the WA messages wasn't stored as encrypted on the PC. Doesn't look like end to end encryption, means that it stores it encrypted....or is it?
Also, Telegram's is open source, WA is not. So no-one really know what nefarious code is hiding inside WA's app.

There’s no need for encryption at rest because if someone has access to the device then it’s checkmate, Signal covered this.
Only the Telegram client apps are open source.

Also, one company is a non-profit and the other is Facebook. I'm not sure how anyone thinks there's a serious privacy comparison to be had here...

Non-profit doesn’t mean a company doesn’t or won’t earn revenue just that they won’t make a profit.

Everyone should just keep to their niche,
Security focused > Signal
Tech focused > Telegram
It works > WhatsApp

I’d rather pay for WhatsApp than have a race to the bottom situation.

 

[Bryn]

There’s no need for encryption at rest because if someone has access to the device then it’s checkmate, Signal covered this.
Only the Telegram client apps are open source.

Non-profit doesn’t mean a company doesn’t or won’t earn revenue just that they won’t make a profit.

Everyone should just keep to their niche,
Security focused > Signal
Tech focused > Telegram
It works > WhatsApp

I’d rather pay for WhatsApp than have a race to the bottom situation.

Except that Signal has had major security issues and Telegram has not. No one has claimed Telegram's bounty yet on hacking their messages or platform.

Signal: Cellebrite claimed to have 'cracked' chat app's encryption

The details explaining how Cellebrite had done so were quickly removed from its website.

www.bbc.com

 

[DA-LION-619]

Except that Signal has had major security issues and Telegram has not. No one has claimed Telegram's bounty yet on hacking their messages or platform.

Signal: Cellebrite claimed to have 'cracked' chat app's encryption

The details explaining how Cellebrite had done so were quickly removed from its website.

www.bbc.com

That’s like claiming you picked an open lock. It already came back to hurt them,

Signal's Founder Hacked a Notorious Phone-Cracking Device

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www.wired.com