2014년 10월 28일 화요일

Telegram: A new shelter for privacy?

Migrators from Kakaotalk.

     


Kakaotalk is everywhere. Almost all Korean have this mobile messenger in their smart phone. It is no exaggeration to say that people switched their old 2g phone to smart phone in order to use this Kakaotalk. It offers a wide variety of comfortable functions at no cost; sending a file, sharing videos, group chatting etc. No wonder it is widely beloved. But recently, many Korean Kakaotalk users have abandoned KaKaotalk, and migrating to a foreign mobile messenger service, named Telegram. The number of migrators is growing more and more.
What happened to them? and What is Telegram?




Privacy threat by Korean Government

In the middle of September this year, President Park Geun-hye blasted groundless online rumors, arguing that those malicious postings would divide the public and social cohesion. Park’s argument led to the prosecution’s unprecedented move to investigate a Japanese journalist for writing critical report on the South Korean president’s clumsy measures on the day the Sewol ferry sank in April. Moreover, The prosecution announced that they will conduct a real-time monitoring of social media to crack down on libelous rumors.


Almost all Korean users are skeptical about this issue. They are expressing fear that their private messages on mobile apps such as Kakaotalk, would be closely monitored by authorities, which led to a massive migration of Kakaotalk users to new shelter, Telegram. Please look at this new clip..!






What is Telegram?

Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It was launched in 2013 by the brothers Nikolai Durov and Pavel Durov, the founders of VKontakte, Russia's largest social network service. Its company is based in Berlin.






History?

VKontakte was launched in September 2006 and now has become the largest Russian social networking service, most popular in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. In 2013 Russia government requested Pavel to hand over the personal VK accounts of Ukrainian anti-government protesters, but he directly refused it, announcing publicly “It’s unlawful”. Before long he was fired from the CEO of VK, then he fled to Germany saying “No plan to go back.” In Germany, Durov brother launched Telegram and start worldwide service. 

For more information, please visit to the website below :


    

vs.

  


Before long, they start service for Korean user, The app tailored to Korean language. Now the growing number of Korean migrators rapidly reached to 3 million. Then, why they are fleeing to the Telegram?







Why Telegram?



Differences of Telegram with other Apps?
First, Telegram is cloud-based system. As a result, you can access your messages from several devices at once, including tablets and computers, and share an unlimited number of photos, videos and files of any size.
Second, It’s heavily Encryped! Telegram was chiefly designed to avoid the tight monitoring of Russian security authorities. Whatever is talked about on it is not stored in the company’s main servers and is strictly encrypted, which makes it difficult for outsiders to monitor the content of messages. So you don’t have to be worried about the security problem anymore.
Furthermore It offers an extraordinary function, “Secret Chat”.




A secret chat is a private chat wherein communication takes place using messages encrypted with a key held only by the chat’s participants. By definition, third ones can never access to the content without one of the devices.


If you want to know more about the distinctive functions of Telegram, please watch this  review video! :) 







My Opinion

Something wrong is happening in Korea. How can the government limit the nation’s freedom of expression? What makes a community devided is not a mere rumor about the leader, but "the action of leader". Government must retrieve their action as soon as possible before poeple's distrust grow more.

As to Telegram, though it has an improved security system and offers a better privacy, I think it’s not useful yet. Kakaotalk is functionally greater, more familiar and more convenient to use. Above all, all of my friends still use Kakaotalk. It has been more than 10 days since I have joined Telegram, but even only one message hasn't came to me yet. Nobody wants to talk by telegram. 
In my opinion, the 'Telegram Boom’ will soon be over. Some recent articles say board of directors of Kakao has decided not to permit the prosecution's try. Furthermore, several social organizations are preparing the enactment of a law for protecting nation’s cyber privacy. (Refer to this article: http://www.mediatoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=119553)
Government can never steal the nation’s right. Kakaotalk will be safe..

댓글 3개:

  1. It is a pig problem that people think privacy is not important. Telegaram can be an alternative. Communicate with other people easily is good but this problem should be considered.

    답글삭제
  2. Personal information is sensitive data. It could be used as commercial purpose or even crime. But i think that Kakao talk will not hand over personal information. And also government reconsider about that happening. That's an unnecessary anxieties.

    답글삭제
  3. Nowadays privacy is hot potato in Korea. It's a big case that personal messenger can be monitored. For many reasons Telegram is the best alternative.

    답글삭제