History of Telegram (software) in Timeline

Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging and social media service available across multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers. Launched in 2013, it enables users to exchange messages, share various media, and conduct voice/video calls, including group calls and public livestreams. A key feature is its end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls, as well as optional "Secret Chats," ensuring enhanced privacy and security for users.

March 2014: Telegram promises code release

In March 2014, Telegram promised that eventually "all code will be released", including client applications and the server-side code.

February 2015: Telegram Plus App Release

In February 2015, creators of the unofficial WhatsApp+ client released the Telegram Plus app, later renamed to Plus Messenger.

September 2015: Durov Responds to Concerns about ISIS Use of Telegram

In September 2015, Pavel Durov responded to concerns about the use of Telegram by ISIS, emphasizing the importance of privacy.

September 2015: Samsung Releases Messaging App Based on Telegram APIs

In September 2015, Samsung released a messaging application based on Telegram's public APIs.

December 2016: Telegram Begins Publishing Moderation Statistics

Beginning in December 2016, Telegram began publishing daily moderation statistics regarding terror-related content in an official channel named @ISISwatch.

December 2017: Blockchain Platform Development

In 2017, in an attempt to monetize Telegram without advertising, the company began the development of a blockchain platform dubbed either "The Open Network" or "Telegram Open Network" (TON) and its native cryptocurrency "Gram". The project was announced in mid-December 2017.

December 2017: MTProto 1.0 Deprecation

In December 2017, MTProto 1.0 was deprecated in favor of MTProto 2.0, which was deployed in Telegram clients as of v4.6.

January 2018: Private Placement Launch

In January 2018, Telegram launched a private placement and collected $1.7 billion from investors.

January 2018: TON Technical Paper Available

In January 2018, a 23-page white paper and a detailed 132-page technical paper for TON blockchain became available.

February 2018: Telegram Login Launch

In February 2018, Telegram launched Telegram Login, a social login feature allowing users to sign into third-party websites using their Telegram account, sharing their name, username, and profile picture while keeping their phone number hidden.

February 2018: Private Sale of Grams Futures Contracts

In January and February 2018, the company ran a private sale of futures contracts for Grams, raising around $1.7 billion.

July 2018: Telegram Passport Introduction

In July 2018, Telegram introduced Telegram Passport, an online authorization and identity-management system for platforms requiring real-life identification, allowing users to upload official documents for verification purposes.

2018: Futures for Gram tokens

In 2018 futures for Gram tokens were bought.

January 2019: TON Test Network Launched

In January 2019, the test network for TON (Telegram Open Network) was launched.

June 2019: Leaked Telegram messages involving Brazilian officials

In June 2019, The Intercept released leaked Telegram messages between Sérgio Moro and federal prosecutors, suggesting potential hacking or compromised devices. Telegram's team suggested the reason was malware or a lack of two-step verification.

June 2019: Telegram confirms denial-of-service attack

On 12 June 2019, Telegram confirmed it experienced a denial-of-service attack, disrupting app functionality for about an hour. Pavel Durov stated that the IP addresses originated mostly from China.

December 2019: Account takeovers through SMS bypass

In December 2019, multiple Russian businessmen experienced account takeovers involving bypassed SMS single-factor authentication. Group-IB suggested vulnerabilities in SS7, illegal surveillance equipment usage, or insider attacks.

2019: TON Project Shutdown Debt Repayment

After the shutdown of the TON project, during 2019 the company needed to repay the investors the money that was not spent on its development during 2018 and the beginning of 2019, while the project was active.

2019: Telegram and Puerto Rico riots

In 2019, Telegram was central to the Puerto Rico riots that led to Governor Ricardo Rosselló's resignation after leaked group chat messages revealed vulgar, racist, and homophobic content and discussions of media manipulation.

March 2020: Exposure of Iranian user data

On 30 March 2020, an Elasticsearch database with 42 million records of Iranian users' IDs and phone numbers was exposed online without a password. The data came from an unofficial Telegram version and was accessed by multiple parties.

September 2020: Espionage campaign against dissidents on Telegram

In September 2020, it was reported that Iran's RampantKitten espionage group targeted dissidents on Telegram with a phishing and surveillance campaign involving malware-infected files. The attack compromised device-level security rather than the app itself.

December 2020: MTProto 2.0 Formally Verified

In December 2020, MTProto 2.0 was formally proven correct by a team from the University of Udine, Italy.

December 2020: Launch of Bugs and Suggestions Platform

In December 2020, Telegram launched a Bugs and Suggestions platform, where users can submit bug reports and suggestion cards for new features.

2020: Russia lifts ban on Telegram

In 2020, the Russian government lifted its ban on Telegram, which had been in place for several years.

2020: Telegram Announces Ad Platform Development

In late 2020, Durov announced that Telegram was working on its own ad platform, integrating non-targeted ads in public one-to-many channels.

2020: Telegram to Add Paid Features

In late 2020, Durov announced that Telegram would consider adding paid features aimed at enterprise clients to cover bandwidth costs.

January 2021: Durov explains rationale for not releasing server-side code

In January 2021, Pavel Durov explained his rationale for not releasing Telegram's server-side code, citing concerns about verification and potential government acquisition to create a competing network.

March 2021: Telegram Launches Bonds Offering

In March 2021, Telegram launched a bonds offering to cover the debt and fund further growth of the app.

March 2021: Public Bonds Placement Conducted

On 15 March 2021, Telegram conducted a five-year public bonds placement worth $1 billion.

May 2021: Server-side code not published

As of May 2021, Telegram had not yet published their server-side source code, despite promising to do so in 2014.

July 2021: Analysis of MTProto protocol

In July 2021, researchers published an analysis of Telegram's MTProto protocol, concluding it could provide a "confidential and integrity-protected channel". However, they also noted theoretical vulnerabilities, which Telegram addressed and patched before publication, awarding a security bounty.

September 2021: Telegram suspends election-related bots in Russia

In September 2021, Telegram suspended several bots spreading information about the Russian election, including one run by the opposition party and critics of Vladimir Putin's government, citing election silence. Critics viewed the blocking as censorship influenced by Apple and Google.

September 2021: Bug with self-destruct feature disclosed

In September 2021, a researcher published details about a bug in Telegram's self-destruct feature that allowed the recovery of deleted photos. The bug was patched before publication, and Telegram offered a bug bounty, which the researcher declined to disclose the bug.

October 2021: Sponsored Messages Launch

In October 2021, ads from Telegram's "Sponsored Messages" platform began to appear in channels with more than 1000 followers.

June 2022: Telegram Premium Launch

In June 2022, Telegram Premium was launched, introducing a paid subscription with increased limits and exclusive features like larger file uploads, faster downloads, voice message transcription, extra stickers, and customization options.

November 2022: Telegram discloses admin data following Delhi High Court order

On 24 November 2022, Telegram disclosed the admin names, phone numbers and IP addresses of channels accused of unauthorised sharing of national exam study materials following an order by the Delhi High Court.

2022: Extremist Content Removal

In 2023, Saudi Arabia's Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal) reported that in collaboration with Telegram, over 59 million pieces of extremist content had been removed from the platform since 2022.

March 2023: Norwegian NSA advises against using Telegram

In March 2023, the Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) advised against using Telegram on business devices due to lack of end-to-end encryption, Russian origins, and open source intelligence risks.

2023: Extremist Content Removal

March 2024: Telegram Sells Additional Bonds

In March 2024, Telegram sold an additional $330 million in bonds to further solidify its position as an independent platform.

April 2024: Telegram removed from App Store in China

On 19 April 2024, Apple removed Telegram from the App Store in China due to censorship concerns.

June 2024: Telegram Stars Launched

In June 2024, Telegram launched Telegram Stars to facilitate in-app purchases of digital goods and services, in compliance with policies from the App Store and Play Store.

July 2024: Vulnerability allowed malicious files masked in multimedia

In July 2024, ESET reported a vulnerability that allowed malicious files being sent to users masked in multimedia on Telegram.

August 2024: Pavel Durov arrested in France

On 24 August 2024, Pavel Durov was arrested in France, later charged with a variety of crimes, and released on bail with conditions. The case will be handled by a special magistrate.

September 2024: Telegram to Hand Over User Data to Authorities

In September 2024, Telegram announced that it would begin handing over users' IP addresses and phone numbers to authorities with valid legal requests.

September 2024: Ukraine bans Telegram for government officials

In September 2024, Ukraine banned Telegram usage by government officials, military personnel, and key workers on official devices due to fears of Russian espionage, citing evidence of Russia's ability to access messages and user data.

September 2024: Image and Video Uploads Disabled

In September 2024, the ability for authors to upload images and videos to the page, with a limit of 5 MB, was disabled.

October 2024: Telegram Gateway Launch

In October 2024, Telegram launched a verification platform called Telegram Gateway, which allowed third-party services to authenticate their users by sending verification codes via Telegram.

December 2024: Telegram Reaches Profitability

In December 2024, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced that Telegram had reached profitability, due to significant growth in Premium subscriptions and Telegram ad sales, assisted by the other monetization features launched throughout 2024.