In August 2024, Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram, was arrested and charged in France for failure to cooperate with law enforcement and complicity in crimes committed on the service, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking and fraud.
French authorities were adamant. Telegram, his encrypted messaging app, had become a haven for criminals. Drug deals, terrorist plots, and child exploitation — all thriving within the secure confines of his creation. Yet, Pavel remained steadfast in his belief that privacy was an inalienable right and that communicating without fear of surveillance was paramount in an increasingly Orwellian world.
News of his arrest rippled across the globe. Privacy advocates rallied, tech titans voiced their concerns, and a palpable sense of unease settled over the internet. The incident spotlighted the ongoing tug-of-war between governments demanding access and individuals yearning for privacy.
In the quiet of his cell, Pavel realized the world had changed drastically since he launched Telegram. Today, an obsession with privacy permeates society. Every click, every message, every search is now a commodity, scrutinized and monetized. His app, once a niche tool for the tech-savvy, had become a lifeline for millions.
After four days of detention, Pavel was released after posting bail of €5 million with the condition that he report to a police station twice a week and remain in France. Pavel walked out of the courthouse and was ushered into a waiting car by a bodyguard. But he knew the fight was far from over. The delicate balance between privacy and security will always be a precarious one.
Unwelcome Exposé
Within weeks, that equilibrium would be shattered in an instant. In October 2024, The New York Times reported on a court battle that destroyed any semblance of his privacy. Durov’s former partner, Irina Bolgar, accused one of the world’s most influential software executives of transforming “from a principled entrepreneur whom she admired into an increasingly arrogant, controlling and finally abusive adversary.”
The report included details of lavish spending, including a $1 million-a-month 116-acre Sardinia summer retreat and a Dubai beachside condo with its own elevator. Private jets were said to whisk the pair off to Paris, Italy and Monaco.
According to a 2023 criminal complaint filed by Bolgar in Switzerland, Durov allegedly assaulted their youngest son five times. The boy was reportedly smacked in the back by Durov and thrown across the room. In another incident, he shook the youngster so violently that his shoes flew off. He also alledgedly threatened to kill the boy.
The irony was striking: the developer of an app renowned for its encrypted, private messaging was now embroiled in a public and lurid privacy scandal.
Durov returned to his work, more determined than ever. In December, TechCrunch reported that with the help of “cutting-edge AI moderation tools,” Telegram had removed 15.4 million groups and channels related to such harmful content as fraud and terrorism.
When it comes to correcting deficiencies, nothing beats jail time.
Growing Privacy Concerns
Privacy challenges, however, have haunted our digital lifestyle for decades. Mistrust of social and search sites was already prevalent in 2011 when a USA Today poll found that nearly seven out of 10 Facebook members surveyed — and 52% of Google users — said they were either “somewhat” or “very concerned” about their privacy while using the popular social network or search engines.
Recent data breaches have only intensified concerns about privacy in an era of ubiquitous digital footprints. In 2022, nine out of 10 users expressed concerns about accessing the internet. These fears are deeply rooted in the reality of persistent data vulnerabilities. Look at just what happened in 2024:
- January 2024 – The “mother of all breaches” involving more than 26 billion records, some of which came from Dropbox, LinkedIn, Adobe, Canva, and Twitter, comes to light.
- July 2024 – In an SEC report, AT&T reveals that hackers stole six months’ worth of call and text message records from nearly all of the company’s 90 million subscribers, further fueling Americans’ deep concern about their digital privacy.
- August 2024 – A 277 GB set of data from scraping service National Public Data is posted online. The dump includes Social Security numbers and other sensitive data of about 272 million people, including deceased relatives.
National Public Data is owned by Jerico Pictures Inc., a Coral Springs, Fla. business founded by Salvatore “Sal” Verini. KrebsOnSecurity reports that National Public Data and its subsidiary Records Check practiced lax security. Now that virtually every U.S. adult’s Social Security number is in the hands of hackers, the impact of the National Public Data breach will ripple through society for decades to come.
Proving just how much data is collected on everyone living in America, here’s where the corporate headquarters of Jericho Pictures Inc. is located, courtesy of the Florida Division of Corporations and Apple Maps.
Facebook in particular is the most appalling spying machine that has ever been invented.” — Julius AssangeThe erosion of privacy is a growing concern, driven by the proliferation of technology, aggressive data collection practices, and expansive government surveillance. As the notorious data leaker Julius Assange once observed, “Facebook, in particular, is the most appalling spying machine that has ever been invented.” Facebook and other social media, however, are not alone when it comes to organizations creating anxiety among consumers, with digital marketers taking the privacy concern crown:
03-May-11 CNET
No wonder 62% of Americans fear that going about their daily life without firms collecting data about them is impossible. This sentiment reflects a broader anxiety about privacy invasion in both digital and physical realms. The Digital Lifestyle Ubertrend has made privacy a highly contentious issue while also fostering a widespread sense of powerlessness, elevating privacy to the top of our Trendscape list.
Digital privacy refers to the protection and security of the personal data of those who use the internet to access services. Individuals have the right to know, choose, and control how companies and organizations collect, utilize, and share their personal information online. Several important data points and trends highlight the significance of this notion:
- Widespread concern – A startling 92% of respondents to a December 2022 KPMG survey were concerned about how their personal data is being handled.
- Risk perception – 81% of consumers believe the potential risks they face from companies collecting data outweigh the benefits.
- Transparency – A lack of transparency complicates the digital privacy landscape. Fully 63% of internet users say that most businesses are not open about how their data is utilized.
Data breaches are a tangible manifestation of the risks associated with poor data protection practices. Personally identifiable information (PII) is included in 44% of data breaches, highlighting the vulnerability of personal data in the digital age. These breaches jeopardize individual privacy and undermine trust in corporations’ ability to protect sensitive information.
Privacy Best Practices
Despite the widespread concern about tangible risks, there is a significant lack of understanding. The arrest of Pavel Durov has once again brought privacy issues concerning Telegram’s use to the surface. Unfortunately, due to misleading marketing and poorly researched press articles, many believe Telegram is an “encrypted app.” The reality is the opposite. Telegram is, by default, a cloud database with a plain text copy of every message ever sent and received.
Multiply that belief with Telegram’s more than 950 million users and the result is a recipe for disaster. Remarkably, even in war-torn Ukraine, a country where citizens should know better, Telegram is considered a “vital tool for sharing news about the war and warnings about air raids.”
With CNN itself mistakenly claiming in the above-cited article that “conversations on the app are encrypted,” misconceptions about Telegram continue to spread. By default, one-on-one chats in Telegram are not encrypted, and group chats that share news about the Russian invasion of Ukraine or drug deals never are. As Zeynep Tufekci observes in The New York Times, “Those very large groups are the main attraction of the [Telegram] platform.”
Telegram explicitly boasts that it has never disclosed user data to any government. Yet Telegram employees have access to every message sent to every group. Adds Tufecki:
“Russian antiwar activists have long wondered how the Kremlin seems to know so much about their activities on Telegram. (Good question.)”— Zeynep Tufekci
20-Aug-24 The New York Times
Signal and Apple
Signal was founded in 2014 by CEO Moxie Marlinspike, its creator and an acknowledged mariner, cryptographer, and hacker. Marlinspike told The New Yorker’s Anna Wiener in 2020 that “Signal’s mission has always been to make end-to-end encryption as ubiquitous as possible, rather than a commercial success.”
The private messaging app, which is encrypted by default, does not read its users’ messages or gather information about them. It doesn’t keep call logs or copies of user information. Signal also says it doesn’t have any “backdoors,” which are built-in ways for law enforcement or corporations to access encrypted material.
In 2017, Durov predicted that a Signal backdoor would be found within five years:
The encryption of Signal (=WhatsApp, FB) was funded by the US Government. I predict a backdoor will be found there within 5 years from now.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) June 8, 2017
I know he’s full of shit when it comes to his views or his claims about Signal.” — Meredith Whittaker, Signal PresidentNearly eight years later, that backdoor has yet to be discovered. To no one’s surprise, Meredith Whittaker, who was appointed president of Signal in September 2022, recently shot back telling TechCrunch Editor At Large Mike Butcher, “I know he’s full of shit when it comes to his views or his claims about Signal.”
24-May-24 TechCrunch
Adds Whittaker:
“Our protocol is open source. Our code is open source. It’s well-documented. Our implementations are open source. Our protocol is formally verified. We’re doing everything we can. But there are many people who have different skills and different expertise, who have to take experts’ word for it. We’re lucky because we have worked in the open for a decade. We have created the gold standard encryption technology, we have the trust of the security, hacker, InfoSec, cryptography community and those folks come out as kind of an immune system.”— Meredith Walker, Signal President
24-May-24 TechCrunch
Signal was founded on the premise that mass surveillance should be prevented, particularly by governments and corporations. While Signal does not share growth metrics, in November 2016, Marlinspike told public radio’s Marketplace that Signal had seen a 400% growth spike since Donald Trump’s election. He observed, “We’ve never really seen any single event in the past that’s resulted in this kind of sustained, day-over-day, interest.”
After the Capitol attack, Signal experienced its highest daily downloads of 1.3 million on Jan. 11, 2021. In July 2020, after China imposed a sweeping national security law, Signal was briefly the most downloaded app in Hong Kong.
Since Signal was released, it has evolved from a niche tool touted by the privacy-minded into a mainstream product recommended by The Wall Street Journal. According to data from Similarweb and TechCrunch, Signal has grown to 40 million users as of 2022:
Besides Signal, Apple famously prides itself on protecting user privacy. Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Macs, are designed with robust encryption mechanisms that ensure user data remains private and secure.
At its 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple used a “lockdown” logo to signal its commitment to privacy and security improvements across its applications and devices.
Americans have a significant awareness gap despite the widespread concern about tangible privacy risks. Approximately 67% of Americans are unaware of their country’s privacy and data protection regulations. This lack of awareness underscores the need for better education and communication about digital privacy rights and protections.
The good news is that computer users under 50 consistently surpass older online adults in self-searching habits. In 2009, fully 65% of young adult internet users ages 18-29 said they had searched for results connected to their name online, up from 49% in 2006, according to a 2010 Pew Research Center study. Likewise, 61% of users ages 30-49 said they were self-searchers, up from 54% in 2006. By 2014, 74% of U.S. adults would delete themselves from search results if they were able.
America’s No. 1 trend reflects broad worry, perceived risk, and a pressing need for greater transparency and control. As users navigate the complexities of the digital world, their trust in companies hinges on how well these entities protect and respect their personal data. The future of digital interactions depends on addressing these concerns and fostering a more transparent and secure online environment.
Ubertrend: Digital Lifestyle
