[throw7576521]

Agreed to cryptographic snake oil, but in regard to Russian-controlled would encourage to read on the biography of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Durov and him opposing Putin and how Telegram has tried to just outrun any state control.

In that sense, I believe Telegram is much more independent than fully undermined FB/Whatsapp... but for what does it matter? Any public group will have leakers And can potentially be undermined by any big enough actor... either you are in a small fully trusted and encrypted circle, or you are in a big and always public group with potentially enemy actors?

[DyslexicAtheist]

I have nothing against Pavel Durov, but in a situation where it's likely that they can't make Pavel what they want, they absolutely will lean on his family. I'm not throwing a dice no matter what I think of him personally. Everyone cracks so unless he doesn't have a single person in RU (or even abroad) that he cares about I'm skeptic.

Telegram is used because it's popular and everyone else uses it I get that. In case this is crucial somehow and this reason prevents me from using Signal, Wire, etc I'd still use WhatsApp/FB over TG in time like this. I'd rather chose the platform from a place that has a history of being an adversary of (in this case) RU.

> either you are in a small fully trusted and encrypted circle

Good advise to never say anything even with a fully trusted circle, because it's not only who gets your phone but who gets your recipients phone. Also peoples allegiances change. Today's friends will 100% flip on you tomorrow.

Maybe this old linked piece of excellent advise is relevant? ...: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8950875