How to unlock Telegram with a VPN

As mentioned above, accessing Telegram can be quite difficult - if not impossible - depending where you are in the world. That's because many governments are implementing bans to prevent their citizens from using the messaging app. 

The censorship campaign is motivated by diverse reasons, and the blocks can apply to the entire platform or only on specific channels, lasting either long or short-term. 

More authoritarian countries see Telegram as a threat as here the app is mainly used to bypass national censorship and share counter-information among its users. 

The platform has indeed been central for fuelling and coordinating protests in Cuba, Belarus, Thailand and Hong-Kong, for instance. That's why these nations have decided to either completely banned the app (like Cuba), plan to do so (as is threatened in Hong Kong), or censors specific anti-government channels (in Belarus, for example).

But the full use of Telegram has also been restricted, on what many would describe as more liberal countries, over concerns that it might be used in harmful ways. 

These can be extremist groups spreading fake news or web pirates illegally sharing copyrighted content. Take a case in November 2021, for instance, where a Portuguese court ordered Telegram to block a selection of channels that facilitated piracy.

Telegram also agreed to shut down more than 60 channels in Germany while implementing the same norm for the future. These came under increased criticism as far right-wing groups used the platform to organize violent demonstrations against the government’s pandemic policies while spreading misinformation. 

Despite Telegram's enormous growth - it now boasts over 500 million active users worldwide - many have expressed concerns about its degree of safety, especially in contrast to that of its main competitors Signal and WhatsApp. 

One of the most worrying factors is that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is not offered as default, but it needs to be activated by users via the app's setting.  

There are also concerns over the handling of user data. Telegram's privacy policy states that it "may collect metadata such as your IP address, devices and Telegram apps you've used, history of username changes, etc. If collected, this metadata can be kept for 12 months maximum".

Platform moderators may also check your messages to look out for spam and abuse. In case of anti-terror investigations, Telegram may disclose the suspect IP address and phone number to the relevant authorities. Although, the app commits not to use user data for ad targeting or other commercial purposes.

The abovementioned safety worries could be a further reason to only use the app when you also have a Telegram VPN turned on. Again, this security service protects your privacy by encrypting your data and making your activities anonymous. 

Thanks to a VPN for Telegram you won't just be able to bypass governments bans, but you will also secure even further your online privacy. 

Everything will be as simple as downloading and setting up a new app. With a couple of clicks the privacy shield will lie over your conversations, protecting them from any intrusive eyes - whether it's a snooping ISP, repressive government, Telegram employee, or malicious hacker.