Privacy @lemmy.ml Timber @lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 mo. ago

Telegram without ads?

So, Telegram has launched horrible ads that look a lot like spam to me. At least in my channels it's typically some crypto bullshit. So, I wonder if people know about alternatives to the subscription service for blocking them? Sadly, Forkgram won't offer that option and it doesn't seem to be allowed. However, I wonder if there are still forks out there which block the ads? Or do people know of alternative options?

49 comments

It won't take long for clients to pop up. But ultimately people shouldn't rely on telegram or any billionaire backed software for pretty much anything.
- 100% agreed, but it's so hard to get everyone to move to signal or simplex or something.
  
  It'll be easer when you point out they don't have adds.
  
  My only problem with Signal is the inability to manually sync conversations. Even if I have backups from my phone. They can't be used on the desktop. I have seen some third party tools, but even those state that they might not work.
  
  I use telegram mainly for info channels and tickers. To my knowledge that's not possible in Signal, because you can't restrict participants to be read-only (right?)
  
  The problem with Signal is that the UX isn't up to par aesthetically and the problem with SimpleX is that the UX is overly complicated. People want a great chat app first and foremost, privacy is an afterthought.
It's just a joke. I don't want you to actually feel bad.

But you should do some research on Telegram, and the fact that they rolled ads out on its own should be a giant Red Flag waving you down. They're not a good company, and their homespun encryption is dubious at best.
- I know! But I don't really have a choice currently; which app would you suggest for tickers / info channels? Mastodon would be an option, but it's not quite the same. Abd I'd first have to convince everyone to use it :/
  
  I just saw one in fdroid and I can't remember it now, lemme see if I can find it.
  
  EDIT: it was zulip
  
  I feel that. That's why I said it was a joke. If I could get all my people off Discord and on Matrix I would but oh well.
  
  Matrix/Element would be my preferred as I could self-host, but I don't have better suggestions that are more like Telegram I am sorry to say.
  
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Huh, I clicked the link and it’s blocked by my DNS content blocker. Have you tried using an adblocker on your phone?
- Which one? There's three in my post. And I do use an ad blocking DNS, but this can't block message-like ads from Telegram. Otherwise it would have to somehow read the encrypted message content...
  
  The first one (ads). I’m not a heavy user, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen ads or sponsored messages even in unencrypted chats. I use Mullvad’s DNS blocker.
i kinda wanna quit nowadays but android customization channels (custom roms, gcam etc) are moving there from xda nowadays so no choice :(

wish there was some read only tg scraper.
- Where can I find links to join these? Been wondering why everything is dried up.
- I would also like the link to custom roms channels. I never used Telegram but may check it out since its something I am interested in.
  
  usually when you look at a rom threads' first post you can find a telegram link
  
  they are usually about a specific device. These are the few I'm in.
  
  t.me/eureka_roms (Exynos 7884/5 Galaxy phones)
  
  t.me/eliteroms_sexynos (Exynos 5443, 8890, 8895, 9810)
  
  t.me/exynos9820oss (Exynos 9820)
  
  t.me/LGG7V40Customs (LG's SDM845 devices)
Nekogram and Mercurygram (both from F-Droid) may be the option? Using them both now and so far I dont see any ads popping up.
- I tried Nekogram but it is also showing ads. It only shows adds on public channels, though.
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I was under the imoression that Telegram was a better alternative to WhatsApp but even WhatsApp doesn't have ads. What should I be using, then?
- WhatsApp kind of has ads, in the form of advertised channels and still sucks up your data. For simplicity use Signal, for decentralized and number less registration use Simplex, and if you want the maximum privacy use Briar (Briar has huge trade offs for more privacy, so unless you gotta leak some documents or something I wouldn’t use it)
- Why were you under that impression? No default encryption, no group chat encryption. Data on the servers, meta data, company resides in UAE and many more. Wenn don't know what's und er the hood of WhatsApp but what de know about Telegram is nauseatic
  
  We know WhatsApp uses the Signal protocol for encryption, but it also collects a lot of metadata. Arguably still better than Telegram that collects everything. Its secret chats may be e2ee but nobody uses them even for discussing sensitive matters, and they don't work on the Desktop.
- Telegram was never a better alternative. It's not even encrypted. All your chats go straight to Abu Dhabi where everyone can freely access them.
  
  Signal is a viable alternative to Whatsapp. Threema is too, but less popular.
While I'm not using telegram (and you should neither, it sucks and it's bad for privacy), here are two options:

Change your DNS. If that's the way they're distributing their ads, they'll be gone

Maybe Telegram FLOSS (F-Droid-Store) can help?
- Telegram FOSS doesn't remove ads anymore
- I already use an ad blocking DNS, but that's not how they distribute ads, sadly
AyuGram is ad-free and also has a little more TOS-breaking features. Use at your own risk!

Mobile: https://github.com/AyuGram/AyuGram4A
Desktop: https://github.com/AyuGram/AyuGramDesktop
- I'll give it a try, thanks!
Do know why you use Telegram but you shouldn't use it...
- Because not everyone can cut off every bad platform. People have family and work on it and Whatsapp. Be more understanding about people's situations.

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