Telegram Channels Not as Secure from FSB’s Prying Eyes as Many of Its Users Believe, ‘Important Stories’ Portal Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, June 10 – Since the Telegram channel was created a dozen years ago, many Russians have shifted toward it out of the belief that this chat and messaging ap is far more secure than any other internet service, a reputation the company’s founder Pavel Durov has carefully cultivated.

            But an investigation by the Important Stories portal concludes that the electronic infrastructure on which Telegram channels are based suffers from serious vulnerabilities that the FSB or other intelligence services can easily exploit (istories.media/stories/2025/06/10/kak-telegram-svyazan-s-fsb/).

            Despite claiming that all his electronic infrastructure for Telegram is outside of Russia, Durov owns and thus cooperates with many companies of whom that is not true. Consequently, those who can gain access to the latter can gain access to the former, something that has been documented in court cases in the West.

            And while there is little evidence that the FSB has gained access to the content of messages, there is overwhelming data showing that the Russian intelligence service has enough to identify users and the likely content they are viewing, thus giving the FSB the whip hand in dealing with those opposed to the regime.