In many cases, the content resembled that of the marketplaces found on the dark web, a group of hidden websites that are popular among hackers and accessed using specific anonymising software.βWe have recently been witnessing a 100 per cent-plus rise in Telegram usage by cybercriminals,β said Tal Samra, cyber threat analyst at Cyberint.The rise in nefarious activity comes as users flocked to the encrypted chat app earlier this year after changes to the privacy policy of Facebook-owned rival WhatsApp prompted many to seek out alternatives.
A project of our size needs at least a few hundred million dollars per year to keep going,β Mr. Durov wrote in his public channel on Telegram late last year. βWhile doing that, we will remain independent and stay true to our values, redefining how a tech company should operate.
