{"id":130987,"date":"2021-11-06T10:37:15","date_gmt":"2021-11-06T17:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=130987"},"modified":"2025-08-20T02:40:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T09:40:28","slug":"telegram-what-parents-need-to-know-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/telegram-what-parents-need-to-know-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Telegram \u2013 What Parents Need To Know Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you hadn\u2019t heard of Telegram till 2021 then you wouldn\u2019t be alone. This relatively unknown messaging and social media platform has risen from relative anonymity to become one of the biggest players in the \u2018secret messaging\u2019 business in less than a year. When What\u2019s App changed its terms of usage in early 2021 and informed users that their data would be shared with their new parent Facebook, many \u2018jumped ship\u2019 in search of a less intrusive messaging option. But it was Facebook\u2019s six-hour outage in early October that really made Telegram an enticing option. On that same day,\u00a0<\/span>Telegram gained a record 70 million users<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0 Looking for comprehensive security protection, download McAfee Mobile Security<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Statista<\/span><\/a>, Telegram is now the 10<\/span>th<\/span> most popular social media platform worldwide, coming in ahead of Snapchat, Pinterest, and even Twitter! So, as Telegram\u2019s popularity continues to grow, it\u2019s highly likely that your kids will be soon giving it a try if they haven\u2019t already! So, how does it work? Is it safe? And, should you intervene. Here\u2019s what you need to know\u2026<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

About Telegram<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Although many of us first heard about Telegram this year, it has in fact been around since 2013. Founded by Russian brothers Pavel and Nikolai\u00a0Durov, Telegram was founded as part of their efforts to offer a forum for free speech online\u00a0<\/span>after their first social networking site, known as VK, was taken over by the Russian Government<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Widely considered to be a Russian \u2018Mark Zuckerberg\u2019, VK made Pavel a billionaire. Pavel claims he was pushed out for refusing to provide VK data to the Russian government and shut down anti-corruption advocates. He has since cut ties with VK and moved to Germany. Telegram was last reported to\u00a0be located in\u00a0Dubai.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does It Work?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

All you need is the Telegram app and a mobile phone number to start your Telegram account and yes, it works across both the Apple and Android platforms. Although it was started primarily as a messaging app, it has evolved into a social network that can be used to build groups around common interests. Both public and private groups can be set up as well as channels. It is also possible to search for people located close to you. And if you love stickers then you\u2019ll love Telegram. Many consider it to have the best range of any messaging app!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is It Safe?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Right from the start, Telegram has positioned itself as an app committed to private and secure messaging. However, the fact that end-to-end encryption is not automatically used on messages sent in Telegram means it is not as \u2018secure\u2019 as privacy focussed messaging platforms such as\u00a0<\/span>Signal<\/span><\/a>\u00a0which offer end-to-end encryption for all communication.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is important to note that Telegram users can choose for their chats to be \u2018secret\u2019 which means they will be end-to-end encrypted, meaning that only the sender and receiver can read the message \u2013 but you must opt in to have the additional level of privacy. But group chats, one of the app\u2019s most popular features, cannot be end-to-end encrypted.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Does Telegram Deal\u00a0With\u00a0Controversial Content?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the biggest issues with Telegram is the content shared in the app and the company\u2019s “hands-off” approach to moderation. Telegram\u2019s a truly unique combination of messaging and social media plus its publicly relaxed content moderation strategy means it attracts a certain style of the user who may have been outed from more mainstream online platforms.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A quick Google will produce multiple examples of how Telegram has been widely used by fringe political groups.\u00a0<\/span>Security experts have acknowledged that Telegram is in fact \u2018the app of choice\u2019 for terrorist organizations. <\/span><\/a>Neo-nazi groups have reportedly used Telegram as a recruiting platform and the far-right QAnon has reportedly set up a home on Telegram after messaging app Parler was suspended earlier this year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, of course, this sounds completely horrid and makes Telegram seem very unattractive. But I can assure you that my Telegram user experience has been quite bland. I have been using the app on and off for several months now and I\u2019ve never been exposed to political or fringe content but I also haven\u2019t gone looking for it. For me, it has been yet another way of connecting with people in my life with a couple of great stickers to assist!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Should My Kids Use It?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In my opinion, Telegram is an app best suited for a robust adult mind. According to the terms and conditions, Telegram users need to be 16+ to join up however as worldly parents, we all know those age restrictions are not a deterrent for many young people!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While my experience has been no different from using other messaging apps like WhatsApp, I believe Telegram is not an appropriate app for an under 18 as there are too many risks: <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n