Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Telegram CEO: Apple’s iCloud Is “Now Officially a Surveillance Tool”

Telegram CEO: Apple’s iCloud Is “Now Officially a Surveillance Tool”

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of cloud-based messenger Telegram, says that Apple’s cloud service iCloud is “now officially a surveillance tool.”

Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of major encrypted messenger Telegram, argues that Apple’s cloud service iCloud is “now officially a surveillance tool.”

Citing a Jan. 21 Reuters report, Durov claimed that applications like WhatsApp — which rely on iCloud to store private messages — are “part of the problem.” Telegram CEO delivered his verdict in a post on his official Telegram channel on Jan. 21:

“iCloud is now officially a surveillance tool. Apps that are relying on it to store your private messages (such as WhatsApp) are part of the problem.”

Apple dropped its end-to-end encryption plans for iCloud two years ago


Specifically, Durov’s post refers to a report claiming that Apple dropped its long-running plans to allow iPhone users to fully encrypt backups of their devices in the iCloud. According to Reuters, the tech giant has given up its end-to-end encryption plans after the FBI complained that such a feature would harm investigators. Citing six anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the report notes that Apple had to drop its plans two years ago, but the issue has not been reported previously.

While Apple has reportedly shifted its focus to protecting some of the “most sensitive user information” like saved passwords, backed-up texts from iMessage, WhatsApp and other encrypted services remain available to Apple employees and authorities, Reuters wrote.

The news comes after President Donald Trump blasted Apple in a Jan. 14 tweet, arguing that the company “refuses to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements."

Telegram has been resisting regulatory anti-privacy pressure


As Telegram positions itself as a global fighter for privacy, opposing major tech giants like Facebook and Google, Durov’s recent claims reinforce the company’s focus on ensuring “real privacy.” Launched in 2013, Telegram is a cloud-based messenger that aims to provide secure encryption, protecting users from third parties such as marketers, advertisers and officials.

Given its strong desire to provide the global community with tools to protect from the eyes of Big Brother, Telegram has already encountered some regulatory issues so far.

After Telegram refused to hand over the encryption keys to user accounts to the Russian authorities in 2018, the country’s major internet monitoring organization Roskomnadzor declared that the app will be blocked “in the near future.” Despite subsequent multiple efforts to ban access to the messenger, Telegram was still operational at the time, and still remains accessible in the country to date.

Previously, Iranian authorities similarly tried to block Telegram amid nationwide protests after the firm refused to shut down some “peacefully protesting channels.” Despite multiple bans, some government agencies including state-run authorities were reportedly using Telegram as of April 2019.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×