However, even if it cannot eavesdrop on your conversations, Skype will still know who you're talking to and when. If this is a concern, Signal remains the best option out there!

3/3

But Skype does offer a "Private Conversations" feature. In a Private Conversation, messages, voice calls, and file-sharing are all end-to-end encrypted. This means that nobody, including people working at Skype, can access any of the content of those conversations.

2/3

...make sure the "Timeline" feature, which keeps track of your location, is off in your Google account's settings > Data and privacy > Timeline. If you've never look at it, it's worth checking it out--and you might be frightened by what you find!

What you can do:
We often feel like Mac users are safe from malware. There is less malware than Windows, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't be cautious. On Mac, as on other systems, always download software from trusted sources & stay away from unverified apps. And keep your computer updated!

2/2

Telegram is not just terribly insecure, it has also misled millions of people into thinking their communications were private while they're just using a better-looking and less secure version of Skype.

9/9

We'll see what the case on content moderation brings, but this is an opportunity to remember that even when it comes to privacy, Telegram is a terrible company:
8/9

This means that Telegram has become a cesspool of conspiracy theories and incitement to violence. But like all social networks, it is bound by laws around moderation to prevent harassment, cyberbullying, violence, and spread of fake news. So the arrest may be unexpected but it makes sense.

7/n

Durov was arrested because Telegram is, in addition to a messaging app, a social network. It offers "channels" that can be followed by millions and "super groups" that can have hundreds of thousands of members. Telegram's social networking features have no moderation.

6/n

- It is not Telegram's "encrypted" 🙄 features that led to Durov's arrest. None of the encrypted messaging apps out there face similar charges as Telegram (though for example WhatsApp has many more users and is end-to-end encrypted by default).

5/n

In fact, Skype uses an encryption algorithm that is far more trusted by cryptographers… So if you're looking for privacy, Telegram is just not it. Signal is the gold standard when it comes to private communications, but even Skype is a better option than Telegram.

4/n

This means that the Telegram team can read/listen to all the conversations you have on Telegram, and can give access to these conversations to anyone they wish. And like Skype, Telegram offers a "secret chat", which *is* end-to-end encrypted, but most users don't even know about the feature.

3/n

- Telegram is often described as an "encrypted messenger". Actually, Telegram is not any more encrypted than Skype: both Skype and Telegram are, by default, *not* encrypted from end-to-end.

2/n