Telegram is NOT an "encrypted messenger." It supports end-to-end encryption ONLY if it is turned on (not by default) and ONLY for single-user chats, never for groups the way Signal, WhatsApp and iMessage do by default. I can't believe that this myth persists. https://twitter.com/wiczipedia/status/1349341628855693315

If folks mean non-public (say, unlike Twitter which is generally public), well Facebook groups are also non-public, much more widely used than Twitter already, and that is an *entirely different* distinction. Twitter DMs are also non-public and used a lot.

Also, folks, Durov (Telegram's founder) is NOT a free speech absolutist. Europol (EU law enforcement agency) has congratulated Telegram on how well it did to fight ISIS on the platform—they can do it if they want because TELEGRAM GROUPS ARE NOT ENCRYPTED. https://twitter.com/wiczipedia/status/1349351163284566016

So this has come to my attention. This chart appears like bullshit to me, i.e. incorrect plus omitting the obvious fact that Telegram can read the content of your messages while WhatsApp can't. Can a real security journalist do a piece on this please? https://twitter.com/stacyherbert/status/1349352588211351552

So the chart is *self-reported* privacy policy to the iOS app-store & Apple explicitly says "This information has not been verified by Apple." Also does not apply to Android. Folks, you want privacy from Facebook, sure! I've been on that beat forever. But let's get facts, not PR.

On the other hand zero sympathy from me for Facebook on privacy, to be honest. They deserve the reputational damage. But let's correct the record on Telegram. For security purposes, in my opinion, it is inferior by any measure except privacy from Facebook. https://twitter.com/QulshTM/status/1349363139486355462

Anyway, back to your regularly-scheduled coup and pandemic for a moment, and a call to informed and competent security journalists to please write an updated explainer on all this. People are confused, and need reliable and trustworthy information.