Telegram’s peer-to-peer SMS login service is a privacy nightmare

Telegram has introduced a peer-to-peer login program that gives users a free Telegram Premium code in exchange for letting Telegram use their phone number as a relay for one-time SMS passwords sent to other users logging in. The feature was first spotted by the TGInfoEn Telegram channel via reverse engineer AssembleDebug, and it is rolling out in select countries for Android users. The terms cap relayed messages at 150 per month, and participants may pay local and international SMS charges, which could exceed the value of the subscription. The article argues that strangers could use relayed participation to look up users' numbers for spam and fraud, and that the terms exempt Telegram from liability for resulting damages.