Exclusive: An update to encrypted-messaging app Telegram will block Chinese authorities from discovering Hong Kong protesters' identities in group chats
WASHINGTON - Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, will allow users to cloak their telephone numbers to safeguard Hong Kong protesters against monitoring by Chinese authorities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the effort.
Thousands of Hong Kong protesters take their cues from more than 100 groups on Telegram. Protesters use encrypted apps like Telegram to mobilize swiftly through multiple group chats, with less risk of police infiltration, Reuters found in a reportThe groups are used to post everything from news on upcoming protests to tips on dousing tear gas canisters fired by the police to the identities of suspected undercover police and the access codes to buildings in Hong Kong where protesters can hide.
Telegram allows users to search for other users by uploading phone numbers. This function allows a new user to quickly learn whether those in her phone’s contact book are already using the app, the group said. Telegram has detected evidence that Chinese authorities may have uploaded numbers to identify protesters, said a person with direct knowledge of the situation. But it is unclear whether Chinese authorities have successfully used this tactic to locate protesters.The fix Telegram is working on would allow users to disable matching by phone number.
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