Looking at Telegram from an OSINT perspective.
OSINT analysts of all types typically tend to understand the intelligence value that some intelligence platforms can hold. From an intelligence perspective though, it’s fair to say that some platforms can provide a broader array of data than others. It’s also fair to say that some platforms are more reputable than others. While this can depend on user base, moderation strategies and general reputation the reality is that some platforms can be far sketchier than others.
It’s not a controversial take to claim that Telegram is one of these platforms. Renowned for being a hive of disinformation, cryptocurrency scams and general all-around bad actors, understanding the platform and the tools available to help you analyse it can be pretty valuable to an open-source analyst. It does however, come with some security considerations, so if you’re planning to explore, be sure you’re using some decent strategies to help keep yourself protected and make sure you’ve closed off attack vectors where possible.
Telegram does have some unique features, like its automatic account deletion tool. Source: Wikipedia

What is Telegram

Known generally for its instant messaging services, Telegram is actually far more feature-rich than most give it credit for. With the ability to process online payments and provide blockchain functions based on its TON coin, Telegram provides a broad array of services to its users.
While many instant messaging platforms need to be linked to a phone number to work properly, Telegram allows its users to “lockdown” their accounts, working on the concept of usernames to help make this work properly. So while you’ll still need a number to fully register on the platform, once you’ve done so you can hide it and work off your username alone.
It also provides group chats, one-way channel-style communications and easy creation and integration of bots, allowing for the implementation of custom actions and communications with minimal fuss.
In any normal circumstances, a platform that's free and backed with services such as these would typically be quite mainstream, with a large number of users. And while Telegram hits the brief of a large number of users (albeit with most of its popularity in Europe) the reality is it does, and has always had a pretty significant reputation problem.
This reputation problem is so pronounced that founder Pavel Durov encountered law enforcement problems in Europe recently. If we put details of the arrest aside for a moment, from an OSINT perspective, it’s worth assuming that Telegram is compromised. So, using a burner number and good protection strategies when you register and use the platform is typically a wise move.
Founder Pavel Durov would come to the attention of French authorities in 2024. Source: Wikipedia.

Content, Scams & Media Attention

With little in the way of content moderation strategies and tens of millions of daily users, as you’d expect content of all different types tends to permeate through the platform. This includes cryptocurrency information, OSINT and war updates as well as a large array of state-backed and user-spread disinformation.
Typically, we’ve seen spikes in user activity during periods of heightened global tension as well. Significant spikes in user activity would be seen during the COVID pandemic, while the Russian invasion of Ukraine would see Telegram become a key part of the Russian information apparatus.
While it does have a somewhat justifiable reputation of being a questionable platform, it does have a large array of useful and legitimate services that are used by different communities. It’s also an absolute goldmine for open-source analysts during times of crisis.
Despite the platform suffering from significant amounts of disinformation, there is also plenty of actionable information that can be uncovered. User-posted content for example is extremely helpful in formulating a clear picture of events that may have occurred, while user sentiment can also be assessed based on that same information.
In terms of credibility, Telegram suffers from two distinct, yet interlinked issues. Firstly, its behind-the-scenes links to the Russian government mean that its integrity as a platform could be more questionable from a cybersecurity and intelligence perspective.
And secondly, its lack of moderation means that nefarious actors have a veritable smorgasbord of targets to help proliferate their own ideology and agendas online. This includes state-based actors like Iran & Russia and even militant groups like ISIS and other extremist fringe groups.
It’s fair to say that when you look at the “Useful Idiot” method of spreading propaganda, the platform has more than its fair share of this demographic.

OSINT go Brrr

Before we talk OSINT, let's make one thing implicitly clear first.
Due to its lack of content moderation and user base, you won’t have to search far to find content that could at best be described as sensitive or extreme. Mental Health preservation is an extremely important part of good OSINT hygiene, so if you’re going to be exposed to sensitive content, ensure you have strategies in place to decompress from this.
With that said as you’d imagine there’s a broad range of OSINT strategies that can be applied. Often, you won’t need to search for this data manually either as many pre-configured bots help you gather information on users, groups and channels. If you’re looking to apply research though, we can typically find actionable intelligence by considering the following vectors.
Users: User information collection like we would with any other social media platform. This could include identification numbers, identifying activities in group chats or channels and exploring moderation or ownership status on the platform as well.
Channels/Chats: This might include participants or contributors, or if you’re a disinformation hunter you might like to explore the content of said chats and channels as well. Identifying moderators or active participants can also help build a picture of what is occurring as well.
Financials: As we mentioned earlier, Telegram has its own native coin called TON. This allows users to transact on the platform, quickly and easily. You’ll also find a wide array of services and posts focusing on cryptocurrency. While not all users on the platform will transact, it’s still with knowing what the platform has to offer, and what tools we can use to analyse them.
One other point that demands attention before we start, is the sheer volume of data that we might encounter when we are carrying out OSINT activities on the platform. While carrying out a basic user search to uncover information is mild, once you decide to look at group chats or channels, the dynamic around this starts to change rapidly.
A single Telegram group chat can have up to 200,000 participants, while a Telegram channel can have even more. They can also be configured to allow either one-way communication or replies on posts. So if your investigation is focusing on subjects or group discussion, it’s no lie to say that in some instances you can face an almost overwhelming stream of data that requires processing.
Rather than being overwhelming though, it’s actually a great way for analysts to up their skills and refine their workflow. There are plenty of tools on Github that help deal with this issue, while coders might choose to develop their own tools that are custom-built to their own specific needs.
There are some great tools available for collecting and processing data. We’ll explore informer more in the future. Source: Github
So if you aren’t comfortable with the terminal or aren’t used to dealing with large volumes of data, Telegram analysis can be a great way of throwing yourself into the deep end and figuring out ways of bringing this all together.

Future Tutorials

It’s no lie to say that in today's world, disinformation and propaganda are significant issues and more often than not, social media has a pretty distinct role in bringing this problem out of the fringes and into the mainstream. And in an election year, these problems become key talking points.
A world that gives us artificial intelligence also reveals many problems in the way we analyse and disseminate data and these problems will become more pronounced in the future. While governments have claimed that things like social media identification will be silver bullet solutions to these problems, the reality on the ground is that no such solution currently exists.
However, one thing that can make an impact, is empowering everyday users with the tools that they’ll need to correctly analyse and identify disinformation. So, it’s no lie to say that OSINT-based investigative techniques play a large part in delivering these tools to the public.
In some instances, data processing of OSINT sources can be little more than advanced forms of pattern analysis and the spreading of propaganda and disinformation is no different. While it’s not reasonable to expect everyone to become a crack cyber sleuth, bringing tools that identify bad actors into the public eye benefits everyone.
So we’ll be looking into Telegram in much greater detail in the coming months. We’ll be looking at some of the ways that it can be scraped for information purposes, as well as considering mitigation strategies to protect our own accounts from these attack vectors.
Then, when we’re done with that, we’ll explore some of the large-scale data processing tools like Informer and then look at how some of the default security configurations can enable some ingenious ways to identify and exploit data using a few simple, open-source tools.
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