this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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E2EE Nature & Tor (self.telegram)
submitted 11 months ago by Tourma to c/[email protected]
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Hello, I have a few questions and I'll clarify underneath.

  1. How does Telegram's E2EE data look? Could someone that has access to the stream tell its Telegram? Or is that undecipherable?

  2. Does Telegram have an official Onion site?

  3. Will one's account get frozen if they are using Telegram's clearweb sites on Tor?

Clarity:

I use Facebook at work and use Tor to masktheat fact. Fb has locked my account a half dozen times because I'm using their clearweb site. They have an Onion address, but E2EE chats won't load & E2EE chats are about 98% of what I do on Fb. So I'm looking for a messaging alternative.

If an IT deptartment can't tell the app is the app, that works best. If they can though, using the website over Tor would be better for me.

Just trying to get things straight before I start bugging people to move. They wouldn't still be on Fb if that wasn't hard.

Thanks

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)
  1. Telegram uses its own mtproto for encryption, including for e2ee, I am not much knowledgeable but if someone can decipher which protocol the e2ee is using they can clearly say its telegram coz no other app use mtproto.
  2. No
[–] Tourma 1 points 11 months ago
  1. Well, I don't think Alan has the time or inclination, (let alone skill,) to figure that out.)
  2. Fair.
[–] lung -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Well idk if this helps you, but Telegram is an arm of Russian tech billionaires, their server is closed source, and true e2e is only enabled for 1-1 secret chats and 1-1 calls. Telegram is therefore basically just an HTTPS-style encryption for almost all its features and kind of questionable affiliation and security

By comparison, Signal is fully open source including the server, and is all e2e, and can be compiled without Google services. But it's also pretty much fully funded by the US govt, so who knows

[–] Tourma 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

But signal only allows one phone and one computer. I need more than that. And for this its also got to be sanitized as its for meat space people who dont know I'm queer af. My Matrix is definitely that way. And Element doesn't really feel up to snuff for the less tech literate that I'm going to try and push it on.

So no, that's not really helpful, but thanks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It allows more than one computer. Not sure about the phone limit

[–] Tourma 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Its on my phone and tablet, so that much works. I do run the FOSS app FWIW.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

FOSS app? Is that something different from the official signal app?

[–] Tourma 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's on F-Droid. It's maintained by Telegram as far as I know. They removed the proprietary bits and replaced them with FOSS. Downside is it can't create accounts, but that is the extent of if that I've found.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

Ah, i think we are talking about different apps. Your talking about the telegram app (which makes sense, given this community), and i was talking about the Signal app.

😅