How Transparent Is Telegram About Its Data Collection Practices?

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Telegram has become a popular messaging platform for users seeking speed, flexibility, and a reputation for enhanced privacy. However, when it comes to data collection practices, transparency is a critical factor. Users want to know exactly what kind of data is being collected, how it’s stored, and how it's used. So, how transparent is Telegram about its data collection practices?

1. Publicly Available Privacy Policy
Telegram does maintain a privacy policy, which is telegram data accessible to all users. This document outlines the types of data the app collects, such as your phone number, contacts (if you grant access), IP address, device information, and metadata such as message timestamps and login history. The policy also explains that standard cloud chats are stored on Telegram’s servers and not end-to-end encrypted by default, while secret chats are encrypted in a way that even Telegram cannot access them.

While this policy provides useful insights, it lacks detailed technical explanations or third-party audit results. For example, the exact retention period of certain metadata is not clearly defined, and some parts are worded vaguely—leaving room for interpretation.

2. Encryption and Security Model Disclosure
Telegram has published some information about its proprietary encryption protocol, MTProto. Although they provide a basic explanation on their website and have invited experts to review it, Telegram has not undergone independent, transparent audits from well-known cybersecurity firms in the way some other messaging apps like Signal have.

Furthermore, Telegram’s choice to use its own encryption protocol instead of more widely-reviewed standards like the Signal Protocol has drawn criticism. While Telegram is open about its technical architecture, this openness does not necessarily equate to full transparency, especially when external security validation is limited.

3. Control and Visibility for Users
Telegram does offer users a range of privacy controls directly in the app, such as who can see your phone number, last seen status, or profile photo. It also provides two-step verification and account self-destruction options for inactive accounts. While this gives users some visibility and control over their data, the backend handling of that data is not equally transparent.

For example, while you can delete messages and accounts, Telegram does not clearly state how long deleted data is retained on its servers before it is completely purged. Similarly, while the company claims it does not use data for advertising purposes and does not sell data to third parties, these claims rely solely on trust, as there's no independent verification.

4. Government Requests and Transparency Reports
Unlike companies like Apple or Microsoft, Telegram does not publish regular transparency reports detailing government data requests or how many were complied with. The privacy policy does state that Telegram may disclose your IP address and phone number to authorities if there is a court order related to terrorism investigations, but the lack of public reports makes it hard to verify how often this happens.

Conclusion
Telegram is partially transparent about its data collection practices. It outlines basic information in its privacy policy and offers users good in-app control, but it lacks independent audits, detailed reporting, and consistent communication about backend data management. For users seeking full transparency, Telegram still has room for improvement in how it discloses and explains its data practices.