TeleGuard
| App logo App logo | |
| Developer(s) | Swisscows AG |
|---|---|
| Initial release | January 2021 |
| Stable release | 1.3.0
|
| Written in | unknown |
| Engine | |
| Operating system | iOS, Android |
| Available in | English, German, Arabic, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish, Ukrainian, Turkish, Persian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, Kirghiz |
| Type | Encrypted instant messaging & voice/video calling |
| License | proprietary |
| Website | teleguard |
Search TeleGuard on Amazon.
TeleGuard is a free end-to-end encrypted instant messaging application for iOS and Android.
The software is based on the privacy by design principle as it does not require a phone number or any other personally identifiable information.
TeleGuard is developed and operated by the web search engine company Swisscows based in Egnach.
Mission[edit]
TeleGuard aims at personal communication while protecting its users from surveillance.[1]
Features[edit]
Users can make voice and video calls as well as send text, voice, and video messages, multimedia, and files of any type.
Alternative clients are so far not available but a web/desktop application is in preparation.[2]
Security[edit]
All communication contents are end-to-end encrypted using Salsa20.[3] Data connections with the servers are secured additionally by HTTPS.
All messages are claimed to be deleted from the servers upon delivery.[4] while experience shows that attachments such as videos are stored centrally for one month.
Access to the app can be protected by a PIN or fingerprint.
Data stored locally on the user's device is not encrypted. Secure backups can be created using a password. This way, the user's ID, contact list, and message history can also be transferred securely to another device.
Bugs (as of November 2021)[edit]
The transmission of messages, including attachments, is so far not reliable in case the Internet connection of the phone is intermittent, e.g., when traveling.
Media and other message attachments are mainly stored on the server and deleted after one month. This saves space on the phone and may be seen as a secrecy feature, but leads to considerable loss of data.
Privacy[edit]
User accounts do not require any personally identifiable information. TeleGuard uses pseudonymous random user IDs, which are not connected to a real name, phone number, or e-mail address.[5]
Unless explicitly allowed, the app does not access the users' phone address books, thus the operator cannot personally identify its users, and thus users can find and contact other users only by their user ID.
Each new connection must be given consent by the user being contacted.
Not even communication metadata is kept on the servers after delivery.[6]
TeleGuard is owned by an independent company under Swiss data protection law. Its servers are located in Switzerland. Authorities and other companies have no access. The service is claimed to be GDPR compliant.[7]
History[edit]
The TeleGuard service has been developed since 2019.[8] It was launched on 20th January 2021.[9]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Interview mit Andreas Wiebe, dem CEO von TeleGuard". youtube.com.
- ↑ "TeleGuard FAQ - Will there be a web / desktop version?". teleguard.com. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ↑ "Messaging apps focused on the security of your data". world-today-news.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ↑ "TeleGuard FAQ - Why is TeleGuard better than other messengers?". teleguard.com. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- ↑ "App-Test: TeleGuard". pctipp.ch. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ↑ "TeleGuard FAQ - How is my privacy secured?". teleguard.com.
- ↑ "TeleGuard focus on privacy". teleguard.com.
- ↑ "Introducing TeleGuard - Safe. Secured. Amazing". awiebe.org. January 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Instant Messenger Teleguard ohne persönliche Angaben nutzbar". itmagazine.ch. January 20, 2021.
External links[edit]
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