How to be safer while using Telegram in Russia and Ukraine

A guide from EFF’s Eva Galperin.

Those of us with roots in Ukraine and Russia have a somewhat different picture of events as they unfold. In addition to viral videos, OSINT, pundits, and even sensible commentary, we’re also part of heartbreaking conversations with our families.

My own roots are in Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Belarus and Romania. The messages I’ve received from my cousins aren’t for public consumption, but suffice to say they’ve been haunting and frightening.

I’m hardly unique. The post-Soviet diaspora sent people from the region all over the world. My EFF colleague Eva Galperin is one such person. As someone with roots in the conflict zone who is also EFF’s Director of Cybersecurity with a long history of fighting for the digital rights of vulnerable people, there’s no one I pay more attention to when it comes to personal security and digital technology in this conflict.

Eva has just published EFF’s guide to “Telegram Harm Reduction for Users in Russia and Ukraine.” It’s extremely timely, given the central role that Telegram channels have played in both the domestic discussions in Ukraine and Russia, and the international picture of events as they unfold: