[The Epoch Times, January 03, 2023](Interview and report by Epoch Times reporter Li Xi) “At the end of the year and the end of the year, I am so sad, I can’t help but miss the third anniversary of Dr. Li Wenliang’s whistle.” On the 2nd, Silicon Valley engineer Zhong Mr. Shan expressed his feelings, drawing on the incident of Li Wenliang being reprimanded by the police, he reminded the increasing number of “telegram” (telegram) users in China how to use telegram safely.
On December 30, 2019, Li Wenliang communicated with his colleagues on his WeChat, thinking that SARS had occurred, and reminded his colleagues to pay attention to protection. As a result, he became one of the first medical personnel to disclose the epidemic to the outside world during the 2019 New Crown Virus (CCP Virus) epidemic, and he was called the “epidemic whistleblower”. On January 3, 2020, Li Wenliang was admonished at the police station in the jurisdiction, and was forced to sign a letter of admonition to admit his mistakes.
The evidence for Li Wenliang’s investigation comes from private chat records on WeChat. Zhong Shan said, “Chinese law stipulates that Internet service providers must store online logs and important data for at least six months to assist law enforcement. WeChat’s own privacy policy states that the company may have to ‘save, disclose and use’ in accordance with government requirements. User information. Therefore, the Chinese (Chinese Communist Party) government can obtain a large amount of user information whenever it needs it.”
Expert: Although “telegram” is safe, you must know how to use it well
Since then, many domestic netizens began to use “Telegram” as a social chat tool out of security and privacy considerations. However, the CCP’s secret agents followed suit to carry out manual monitoring of “Telegram” users, so the security issue was urgently placed before the eyes of netizens. Zhong Shan said, “About how to safely use Telegram in China and how to prevent the CCP’s spies from monitoring, you must read it carefully. Telegram is such a good encryption software that it can completely avoid the leakage of user identities.”
Zhong Shan reminded, “Although the security of Telegram’s encryption technology is now beyond doubt, the CCP cannot steal any of your private chat content, IP address, registered mobile phone number, and Telegram address book content. However, if you think that since Telegram’s Encryption is so good that you can take it lightly on Telegram, then you’d be dead wrong.”
“Since Telegram cannot be monitored like WeChat and QQ, it is certain to send spies to lurk in it, especially all the large groups on Telegram have spies lurking, and they can often succeed in chain hacking.” He said.
“Telegram” Security Teaching Manual
So, how to deal with cyber spies? Zhong Shan’s trick:
1. Complete the necessary security settings for “Telegram”. This is very important and must be set, which will further greatly improve the security of your data.
(A), set the two-step verification password (Two-Step Verification), after the setting is completed, if you log in to Telegram on other devices, you need this password, otherwise you will not be able to log in after receiving the verification code. This is to ensure that even if your SMS verification code is intercepted by the CCP, your virtual number is withdrawn, etc., your information will still be kept confidential.
(B), adding an email verification code on this basis, so that it is difficult for the CCP to crack the email interception verification code at the same time.
(C), set the Telegram device lock (Passcode Lock), the setting time is recommended to be 15 minutes, that is, if you do not log in to “Telegram” at intervals of 15 minutes, the “Telegram” software will be locked. If there is no device lock, your phone will be taken away, and others You can browse your “Telegram” content and operate your “Telegram” arbitrarily. Of course, remember to put a passcode lock on your mobile phone screen, preferably a digital lock, not fingerprint or facial recognition, to prevent the body from being coerced and forced to complete mobile phone verification.
2. The language habits of WeChat and Telegram are separated. That is, your language habits on WeChat, especially the WeChat group, do not post to the Telegram group. It is recommended not to post any sensitive remarks on WeChat, because the Chinese input methods of domestic software companies all have a sensitive word search snapshot function. At the same time, WeChat and QQ have been scanning the memory archives of the middle clipboard, and texts containing sensitive words can be identified.
For example, he said, if you post a piece of text on WeChat or QQ group that criticizes the CCP, and then forward this text to the Telegram group, at this time, the network spies will directly match your WeChat identity and Telegram identity. , you will be exposed, and the speaking style is very similar and it is very dangerous. Don’t underestimate the ability of Guizhou cloud and AI big data to trace the source, and pay attention to the experience and lessons behind Li Wenliang’s whistleblower case.
Expert: Smart use of “Telegram” number to participate in social affairs
Zhong Shan said, don’t use Su’s mobile phone number with the mobile phone number in life. If you are the one who is being followed closely, the CCP can easily obtain your real-name registered mobile phone number. If the spies enter your mobile phone number into the address book, your speech in the tracking group will reveal your identity.
So what to do? Zhong Shan mentioned two solutions:
1. Telegram account can buy a non-real-name account or register (buy) a foreign virtual account to register Telegram. This account is a virtual identity and is used to increase the group. You can actively speak in the group, but don’t chat with anyone privately, don’t take it lightly Click on any links sent by strangers in private chats, especially don’t talk about information that involves your identity.
How to buy a virtual number? Zhong Shan said, search for industrial Internet of Things traffic cards in China, or there are overseas purchasing traffic cards on Taobao, and unregistered traffic phone cards for Southeast Asian numbers. The price is affordable, and you can also set up an overseas Google FI /google Voice number by yourself.
2. If you are a large group administrator and still need to be active in the large group, you need to register 3 Telegram numbers. The first one is registered with your frequently used mobile phone number to prevent losing contact and private chat with ordinary friends; the second is the administrator’s The telegram account, the large group administrator will be the key focus of the spies. This must be registered with a virtual identity, and does not publish any sensitive remarks. It is only responsible for managing the group and deleting some pornographic pictures; the third is the telegram account used for group activity. Register with a virtual identity, do not chat with anyone privately, and do not disclose any personal information.
Expert: Beware of links that expose IP addresses
Zhong Shan said that telegram communications can use proxy servers, so there is no need for circumvention software, and the MT proxy of telegram is encrypted, so the CCP cannot steal chat information through the proxy. But for the webpage link in the group, it does not go through the telegram proxy channel.
He gave an example and said, you are an active person in the group, and you are also a Telegram account registered with a virtual identity. You often speak out to protect the rights and interests of vulnerable groups. The CCP must find a way to eliminate you. At this time, the spy chatted with you privately. Send you a link to a WeChat article (or a domestic website), and once you open it, the website will record your IP address, and the CCP can lock the location and even identity of your physical router based on this IP address, and you will So exposed.
How to Safely Open Private Chat Links in Telegram
How to safely open the private chat link in Telegram, Zhong Shan mentioned a big principle: at least use a browser with the default Https setting, and let your browser view this link through a VPN proxy.
He listed 4 methods:
1. Active Telegram accounts do not chat privately.
2. Copy the link, turn on the VPN, and click the link again. The VPN will hide your IP address. At this time, what is recorded on the website is your foreign IP address on the VPN. Because the foreign VPN address is used by many people at the same time, it is difficult to lock your own.
3. Use the Telegram web version to log in under the Tor browser mode. The Tor browser is a multi-proxy, data is encrypted and the IP address is hidden. In this mode, it is impossible to use the Telegram web page chat in this mode. Your IP address will not be revealed.
4. Strategies for special groups of people who need special attention: use the encrypted chat mode of Telegram, and set the timing burning mode; if you are protecting legitimate rights and interests with your friends, or you have been blacklisted by the authorities, then it is recommended You should not use your real-name mobile phone number to register for Telegram, even for private chats, you can register a virtual number, and this number must not be active in the group, it is only used for private chats, not added to the group.
Expert: You can check your phone when you meet the police
Zhong Shan said that in China, the police often stop you to check your mobile phone at any time. At this time, you can leave your SIM card and reluctantly throw away the password-locked mobile phone or directly break the mobile phone and throw it away, so that the police have no chance to investigate.
He suggested that if there is an emergency situation forced by the police, it is necessary to be able to restore the factory settings with one click. The method is: Settings > General > Transfer or restore the device, and then tap “Erase All Content and Settings”. Then inform the police that something is wrong with the phone, so it’s a repaired phone.
“The above is a summary of the safe use of telegrams in occupied areas. This is very important to you who are using telegrams, because telegrams are a union. Everyone’s safety is the condition for everyone’s safety. Only when everyone is safe can you have real safety,” he said.
He said that freedom of communication is the foundation of freedom of speech, without freedom of speech, other freedoms cannot be discussed. “Learning a series of experience and lessons from whistleblowers, from WeChat to telegram, there is even more expectation that telegrams can be safely used to tear down this (firewall) wall. Recalling the whistleblower Dr. Li Wenliang, as he said, ‘a healthy Society shouldn’t have only one voice’. It’s been three years since the whistle blew, and you can’t help but understand!”
“The classic lines of the hero in the movie “V Stranger’s Revenge”: Our dignity is so small, but that is all we have, that is our last inch of territory, but in that inch of territory, we are free. (Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all we really have. It is the very last inch of us. But within that inch, we are free.) If you think this article is very helpful to you, please let us know immediately Friends you know,” he said.
Zhong Shan, formerly known as Wang Zu, a Chinese communication network engineer works in the Silicon Valley Bay Area. As an “awakened engineer”, he has long resisted the digital totalitarian tyranny with Chinese characteristics, calling on all technology practitioners to wake up and take responsibility.
Editor in charge: Li Qiong #