Mysteries of Telegram Data Centers (2022) (dev.moe)

Article summary

The article explores the mysteries of Telegram's data centers, revealing that the company claims to have 5 data centers, but some of them seem to be unused or have limited functionality. The author investigates the allocation rules for these data centers and finds that they are based on the country code of the phone number provided at registration. The article also discusses the limitations of methods used to determine a user's data center and the potential implications for user data and security. The author concludes that some data centers may no longer accept new users and that existing users may have been transferred to other data centers.

Main themes

• Telegram data centers
• Data center allocation
• User data security
• Encryption methods
• Server infrastructure

What commenters say

• Telegram's data center setup is unusual and may be prone to security risks due to its custom infrastructure.
• The company's claims about encryption and data security are misleading and not entirely trustworthy.
• Some users believe that Telegram is a secure messaging app, while others argue that it lacks end-to-end encryption and has vulnerabilities.
• The allocation of users to data centers based on phone number country code may not be the most efficient or secure approach.
• There are concerns about Telegram's relationship with Russia and potential data access by authorities.
• The use of Telegram by Ukrainian military and civic services suggests that it may be a reliable tool for communication, despite security concerns.
• The lack of transparency and open-source code for Telegram's server infrastructure raises suspicions about its security and potential backdoors.