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A new Telegram update, or an attempt to leak personal data?

31.01.2023
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Telegram updated in a big way: the update is usually released closer to Friday or on weekends, but this time the developers released it at the beginning of the week. Perhaps, it was delayed, because the new version contains a lot of interesting things: for example, the ability to create Telegram without a SIM card.

Sign in to Telegram without a phone numberWhile previously you needed a sim card to create a Telegram account in order to get an access code, now you can do it without one. True, it's not that simple and you'll have to pay for it. You will need to buy a virtual anonymous number on the Fragment platform to log in, which will become visible after payment.

The cost of a random number will be markedly more expensive than the usual SIM-card from the operator - 9 TON, that is, about a thousand rubles. There are "beautiful" combinations of numbers, but they will cost even more. So, there are no free ways to sign in to Telegram without a phone number via email - either use a SIM card or pay for anonymity.

The proprietary Telegram numbers in question are not free. They are distributed through the auction platform Fragment, which the creators of the messenger launched to sell nicknames. Trading on the platform is exclusively in cryptocurrency, but it is not possible to pay for the purchase in bitcoins or ether. The only possible means of payment is TON, an altcoin developed with the participation of Telegram itself and running on the blockchain network of the same name.

A base number in Telegram costs 9 TON, which is roughly equal to $16 at the current exchange rate. It is called basic, or random, because it consists of random characters generated by a randomizer.
Despite the fact that Pavel Durov calls Telegram the most secure messenger, there have always been quite a few questions about it. Why aren't default messages protected by end-to-end encryption like WhatsApp? Why are there so many spammers and scammers on the site?

Although such an update, if we are to believe the word, was released in order to increase security and anonymity, there are still doubts. One begins to wonder if it's really the other way around. It is possible that the purpose of the update is precisely to make it easier for Telegram's servers to collect data about users, which creates even more questions for the creator and causes even less trust.

The biggest problem with everything online is security. The security of data, information, and identity in general is always a concern. So you should always be cautious about the personal information you upload online.