Security Cryptography Whatever Telegram with Matthew Green
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Sep 7, 2024 Matthew Green, a leading cryptography expert, dives into the controversial security flaws of Telegram, especially after CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France. He debunks Telegram’s reputation as a secure messaging app, discussing its non-standard encryption methods and lack of transparency. Green presents alarming critiques of the MT Proto 2.0 protocol and compares it unfavorably to superior platforms like Signal. The conversation also touches on the legal implications of messaging apps in the context of privacy and government oversight.
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Telegram's Public Chat Reality
- Telegram is primarily a public platform with only opt-in end-to-end encrypted private chats, which are poorly implemented and rarely used.
- Its philosophy of not cooperating with law enforcement on public content has led to legal troubles for its CEO in France.
LavaBit vs. Telegram Approach
- LavaBit, Snowden's email provider, failed to protect data because it didn't do end-to-end encryption and surrendered keys under pressure.
- Telegram differs by knowing how to negotiate with law enforcement but refuses to cooperate, unlike LavaBit's naive approach.
Weak Cryptography in Telegram
- Telegram uses finite-field Diffie-Hellman with server-chosen parameters, which is outdated and risky compared to elliptic curve cryptography.
- End-to-end encryption is not default, requires complicated user actions, and only works if both users are online simultaneously.