- The Telegram's "People Nearby" feature may be able to show your location.
- All you need is GPS tools and triangulation to determine where someone lives.
- Telegram said the functionality doesn't need to be repaired.
Telegram is supposedly privacy focused, but its location sharing approach is cause for concern. Security-conscious user Ahmed warned that the "People Nearby" feature of the messaging app exposes locations online in a way that certain observers could find.
While the Telegram feature only shows the distance between you and other users, it's not difficult to get more accurate location data. You can use a GPS spoofing device, root your phone (again to fake GPS), or even walk around triangulating locations. After that, all you have to do is enter the coordinates into a mapping tool to get the address.
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You are effectively posting your home address online, Ahmed said.
According to reports, Telegram isn't concerned about the privacy impact. Nearby users "purposely" share their locations, the company said, and the feature isn't turned on by default. You are "expected" to be able to estimate the exact location in the right circumstances, the company's security team said.
You don't have to worry about accidentally sharing your whereabouts. However, Telegram's location feature can create serious privacy issues for those who don't know how it works. It could be used to harass or persecute people who only believe they share relative distances. Do not turn on people nearby if you have serious concerns that someone will track you down, even if the likelihood that someone will use this feature is not particularly good.
