- Telegram rejected the allegations of links with the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia (FSB)
- According to a new survey, the Telegram server network has been suspected of being controlled by a man whose companies have links to Russian intelligence services
- Telegram is one of the few social platforms still available in Russia
Telegram rejected allegations that the popular messaging application can have links with Russian intelligence services.
This occurs while an investigation carried out by the important stories (ISTORIES) of the independent Russian investigation claims to have found evidence suggesting that the telegram server infrastructure is under the control of a man whose companies have links with the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia.
Although Telegram did not publish any public response at the time of the writing of this document, the spokesman for the company Remi Vaughn told Techradar: “All telegram servers belong to Telegram and maintained by telegram employees. Unauthorized access to all data is impossible.”
Telegram is one of the few online platforms that is not blocked in Russia, which means that citizens can access it without using one of the best VPN services.
What does the investigation say?
According to the ISTORIES survey – which was supported by the project of report on organized crime and corruption (OCCRP) – more than 10,000 IP addresses in Telegram technical infrastructure are managed by a company registered in Antigua and Barbuda called Global Network Management (GNM).
According to documents from a Florida judicial case accessible by journalists from the Istories, the owner of this company is a Russian network engineer appointed Vladimir Vedeneev, who said to the court that he had been involved in the installation of Telegram Messenger and another technical support.
Florida court documents seem to reveal more details on the relationship between Vedeeev and Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram. This includes Vedeeev saying in court “that he had the proxy to sign documents in the name of Pavel Durov and in the name of Telegram”.
Telegram would also operate 5,000 IP addresses provided by another company based in Saint Petersburg, Electrontelecom, who would have found evidence like an FSB entrepreneur.
NEW: The Telegram messaging application has a security reputation – but @istories_eng has found that its technical infrastructure is led by a man whose companies collaborate closely with Russian intelligence services.June 10, 2025
The Istories survey says that FEDEEEV is also the founder of Globalnet, an important Russian telecommunications operator, who would have checked the TELEGRAM IP addresses, now managed by GNM, until 2020. ISSTORIES A assertive:
“But Globalnet is not any network provider. Among its customers is the main IT research center for the management department of presidential properties in Russia (Glavnivts). Officially, this organization provides technical support for public events and direct lines” of President Putin, summits and other high -level meetings. “”
In 2022, Globalnet launched the first filter surveillance and traffic surveillance systems based on the deep package of packets (DPI) at the request of Roskomnadzor, the Russian Internet watchdog responsible for applying online restrictions.
What does Telegram say?
Telegram rejects these accusations. In a written comment sent to Techradar, Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn, said:
“As a global company, Telegram has contracts with dozens of different service providers in the world. However, none of these service providers have access to telegram data or sensitive infrastructure.
“All telegram servers belong to Telegram and are maintained by Telegram employees. Unauthorized access to data is impossible. Throughout its history, Telegram has never disclosed private messages to a third party – and its encryption has never been raped.”
A response which, according to journalists from the Istoria, “contradicts the facts established before an American courtyard”.
Is Telegram sure to use?
Launched in 2013, Telegram is marked “as a messaging application by emphasizing speed and safety”.
Its founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, is a billionaire of Russian origin, popular among the fighters of freedom of expression for having refused to give the identity of the users of Telegram to requests for application of the law.
Some countries have blocked access to Telegram over the years for this reason, France issuing an arrest warrant against it for illicit activities on the platform. However, the company is one of the rare traditional online platforms still available in Russia at the time of writing.
Telegram does not offer the same level of security as Signal and WhatsApp, which encrypts all default messages and calls. On the contrary, only the secret conversations of Telegram are encrypted from start to finish, and users must actively activate this additional protection.
Speaking to the Istories, Michał “Rysiek” Woźniak, a security specialist who worked for the OCCRP as head of infrastructure and information security, warns that this system could leave users vulnerable to follow -up, even if their messages remain inaccessible.
He said: “If I know” Auth_Key_ID “from your device and I can listen to the network that manages the data … I know that it is your specific device that communicates with telegram servers. Looking at network packages … I also get your IP address at some point, which tells me your approximate geographic location.”
According to Woźniak, this could become a real problem if Russian intelligence services really have access to the telegram traffic. “A tool for global monitoring of messenger users, no matter where they are and which server they connect.”
Whether it is a link between the telegram and the Russian FSB has not yet been confirmed, the survey always stresses that the protection of the content of communications is not enough, because the confidentiality of metadata is also important. I invite anyone concerned about their confidentiality to use solutions that minimize exposure to metadata, such as signal and session.
