Telegram Mega Groups Cache Stored in Iran

EghtesadOnline: Telegram, the most popular social media and messaging application in Iran, has started using encrypted Content Delivery Networks located in the country since July 27.

News ID: ۷۷۷۹۸۲

29 July 2017

A content delivery network, or CDN, is a system of distributed servers that deliver content to a user, based on the geographic location of the user and the origin of the content.

According to the official website of Telegram the service supports encrypted CDNs for caching media from public channels with over 100,000 members.

Furthermore, according to Financial Tribune, the company says “the CDNs are located in regions with significant Telegram traffic."

Through an official statement the company provided information on the development.

"In order to speed up downloads in different regions Telegram uses its own distributed servers or CDNs depending on the country."

Thanks to technology, the download speed for public photos and videos can become significantly higher in regions like Iran, Turkey, Indonesia, South America, India, or Iraq.

>Issue of Security

Files that will be sent to the CDNs are encrypted with unique keys.

The CDN cannot access the data it stores because the keys will only be accessible to the main server and to the authorized client.

CDNs are also not a part of the main Telegram cloud and are used only for caching popular public media from massive channels.

The users’ private data will not be stored on the CDNs.

Telegram has not invested anything in these CDNs and will only be paying for traffic that is used to pass cached items from the main clusters to the end users.

The name of the third-party firms in Iran and elsewhere have not yet been disclosed.

Earlier this month, Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mahmoud Vaezi, said that his ministry is in discussions with Telegram to move their 'servers' to Iran.

This comment was immediately rebutted by Telegram CEO Pavol Durov on his social media account.