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The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has established a presence on the Telegram app for the 1st time. The agency says that it will help to reach people in countries where the social media app is most predominantly used.
The CIA released a press release on May 16th, stating that the creation of a channel on Telegram will allow the agency to connect with individuals in countries where access to social or independent media is limited or indeed non-existent.
Courageous Russians
The agency’s 1st post on the channel was a video in the Russian language that invites “courageous Russians” to securely contact the agency and share information.
“Our global mission demands that individuals can reach us safely and securely from anywhere. Telegram is an additional tool to communicate with people, no matter where they are,” explained Tammy Kupperman Thorp, the CIA’s Director of Public Affairs.
In 2019, the CIA established a presence on the ‘Dark Web’ to allow people to contact them securely via TOR browser.
Users in India & Russia
As of early 2023, the instant messaging app Telegram has 700m monthly active users, with the majority of its users in India. The 2nd-largest group of users can be found in Russia, followed by the US.
The app was founded in 2013 by Russian-born brothers Pavel & Nikolai Durov. The messenger service was initially banned in Russia after refusing to provide authorities with the encryption keys to read messages.
Local Restrictions
The founders have skilfully navigated through local restrictions & regulations in the country by setting up bases around the world. Currently, Telegram’s HQ is in Dubai.
Upon realising that it was technologically incapable of stopping Telegram from operating in the country, Russia performed a U-turn & unblocked it. Telegram has since received a $2m investment from the Russian state-run Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
