Skip to content
Cybersecurity — Politics — general-news — Technology

Telegram Under Scrutiny: Investigation Reveals Potential Links to Russian Security Service

Foreign agent-labeled 'Important Stories' journal unveils an investigation alleging a connection between Telegram's server administrators and covert surveillance facilities utilized by the FSB for citizen monitoring. Telegram, in a response obtained by the BBC's Russian Service, asserts that...

,   and  Administrator
3 min read
Foreign agent-registered publication 'Important Stories' alleges that Telegram's server structure...
Foreign agent-registered publication 'Important Stories' alleges that Telegram's server structure is controlled by the same individuals managing covert FSB facilities employed for citizen surveillance - a claim disputed by Telegram, who maintain to BBC Russian Service that their service providers hold no access to the messenger's data or confidential infrastructure.

Title: Unraveling the Mysteries Behind Telegram's Server Ownership: A Layered Maze of Connections

Get the lowdown on the intriguing tale of who's really running the show behind one of the world's most popular messaging apps, Telegram.

The Juicy Gossip: Who's Pulling the Strings?

The latest whodunit in the tech world is all about who really owns and manages the servers powering Telegram. Here's the scoop:

Servers in Stealth Mode

The hot topic of the "Important Stories" investigation is just that - who's the secret mastermind behind the servers keeping ordinary chats flowing smoothly for Telegram users. With access to these servers, spies could potentially eavesdrop on countless conversations.

Infrastructure Insiders

Global Network Management Inc. (GNM) - The Stealthy Sidekick

According to the "Important Stories" investigation, most messages passing through Telegram travel via servers controlled by GNM, a company based on the islands of Antigua and Barbuda. The company's owner is none other than Vladimir Vedeneev, a network engineer from Tolyatti.

Intriguingly, court records from Miami in 2018 reveal that Vedeneev was, at some point, also the financial director of Telegram Corp, a company based in Panama. He claimed to be the sole person with access to GNM's servers in Miami. However, Telegram's public relations team hasn't revealed any details about the relationship between Vedeneev and the messaging app.

GNM stepped onto the scene in 2020, taking over from a St. Petersburg-based company called GlobalNet, which used to manage the same servers.

Enter the Relatives

In 2024, Vladimir Vedeneev supposedly transferred his ownership stake in GlobalNet to his relatives - they now control over 96% of the company with the remaining 4% held by Roman Venediktov.

Venediktov has worked for Russia's Ministry of Defense and has ties to various companies, like "Piring" and DATAIX, which merged with GlobalNet in 2018. Interestingly, Durov's mother and brother eventually joined him at "Piring".

A Second Helping - Electrontelecom

Another company providing IP addresses for Telegram is “Electrontelecom”. It's been run by Vedeneev's relatives since 2024. This company also counts the Management of the FSB for the St. Petersburg and Leningrad region among its clients.

The Kremlin Connection

Strangely enough, other clients of "Electrontelecom" include the Kurchatov Institute (currently under Western sanctions) and the Main Scientific Research Computing Center of the Presidential Administration of Russia (MainNIVC). The latter is officially responsible for supporting summits and meetings involving Vladimir Putin, but "Important Stories" reports it to be a confidential analytical center working in the interests of multiple government agencies like the FSB, FSO, MVD, and the Ministry of Defense.

What Telegram Thinks

Telegram, on the other hand, claims that as a global entity, it works with dozens of service providers but emphasizes that none of them have access to its data or confidential infrastructure. According to its official statement, all Telegram servers belong to the company and are cared for by its employees. Furthermore, the company asserts that it has never leaked private messages to third parties and has never experienced a breach in its encryption.

Text Adapted By MEOWing23

Sources:

  1. BBC Russian Service: https://www.bbc.com/russian/
  2. Important Stories: https://www.importantstories.org/
  3. The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/
  4. The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/
  5. Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/
  6. The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/
  7. Ars Technica: https://arstechnica.com/
  8. Wired: https://www.wired.com/
  9. The revealed ownership structure of Telegram's servers shows a connection between Vladimir Vedeneev, Global Network Management Inc. (GNM), and Telegram Corp, suggesting that political and technology interests may intersect in the maneuverings of this popular messaging app.
  10. The complex web of connections between GNM, Electrontelecom, various government agencies like the FSB, FSO, MVD, and the Ministry of Defense, highlights the extent to which telecommunications and cybersecurity infrastructures might be influenced by political undercurrents and the potential impact on general news and politics.

Read also:

    Related

    Latest