A new investigation by independent outlet IStories has raised serious alarms about the popular messaging app, Telegram. The app is known around the world as a place for private chats, especially in countries with strong government control. Its founder, Pavel Durov, has always claimed that the app stands for privacy and freedom of speech. But this investigation tells a very different story.
The report reveals that Telegram’s technical backbone — the servers and systems that make the app work — are managed by a small company named Global Network Management (GNM). GNM is registered in a tiny Caribbean country called Antigua and Barbuda. But the real story starts with the man behind GNM, Vladimir Vedeneev.
Vedeneev, a Russian citizen, testified in a U.S. court that his company installs and maintains Telegram’s infrastructure. Court documents also list him as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This means he plays a major role in both the financial and technical sides of the company.
Even more concerning, many of the IP addresses GNM uses were once owned by Globalnet, a telecom company based in St. Petersburg, Russia. Investigators say Globalnet has worked closely with Russian intelligence services, including the Federal Security Service (FSB). Telegram also received 5,000 IP addresses from another Russian firm, Electrontelecom, which has reportedly done work for the FSB as well.
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Not as Private as It Seems
People use messaging apps like Telegram thinking their conversations are completely private. But this isn’t always true. Unlike WhatsApp or Signal, Telegram does not use end-to-end encryption for regular chats. Only “secret chats” have that kind of strong protection. For everyday messages, it keeps the content stored on its own servers — and those messages are not scrambled.
The report warns that whoever runs these servers could read what users are saying. Since Vedeneev and his companies help maintain these systems and have links to Russian firms, this creates a serious privacy concern.
Cybersecurity expert Michał Woźniak explained that Telegram also adds a unique code to every message called auth_key_id. This tag can identify the device used to send a message. If someone can see Telegram’s data — like message times, IP addresses, and this unique device tag — they could track a user’s location and connections. Woźniak said this system could be used for global surveillance if shared with Russian intelligence.
Telegram’s Defense and a History of Cooperation
Telegram strongly denied the claims in a public statement. The company said that no third-party contractors have access to user data or its main systems. They also said that the company has no servers or employees in Russia and has never shared messages with anyone — including governments.
But past actions suggest otherwise. In 2022, the Russian internet watchdog Roskomnadzor reportedly asked Globalnet (one of the companies tied to Telegram’s infrastructure) to install systems to monitor online traffic. This was done as part of state security efforts.
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Around the same time, Oleg Matveychev, a member of the Russian State Duma’s Information Policy Committee, stated that Telegram had reached a “compromise” with the FSB. He said this deal allowed the government to track users suspected of crimes like terrorism.
Despite Telegram’s claims of full independence, the investigation shows that the company has used infrastructure and support from firms with strong ties to Russian intelligence — including companies involved in surveillance and secure communications for the FSB.
