Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp: Which Encrypted Messaging App Should You Choose

Key points: A cross between a messaging app and a messaging board May collect your data Only secret chats are end-to-end encrypted Offers paid tier for more features Telegram doesn't offer as robust privacy features as Signal, but it does have a few features that might make the app appealing to some folks. Telegram is a cloud-based messaging service, and it stores data it needs to function. Telegram also writes that it collects and stores some of your metadata, like IP addresses. The company changed its privacy policy in 2024 to say it will share some of your data with law enforcement if requested. "We've made it clear that the IP addresses and phone numbers of those who violate our rules can be disclosed to relevant authorities in response to valid legal requests," Pavel Durov, Telegram's CEO, posted in September. With that change in place, Telegram fulfilled 900 requests for information from US authorities in 2024, impacting 2,253 people, according to Telegram's own in-app tr ... Read full article.