‘Security problem’ found in Telegram app

Hackers can reportedly extract your exact location from a feature in the Telegram messenger app, which can help stalkers get your precise location. Independent researcher Ahmed Hassan claimed that the ‘People Nearby’ feature in Telegram can be exploited to harvest the exact location to track you, as per a report by ArsTechnica.

The report by ArsTechnica, “Telegram lets users create local groups within a geographical area. Hassan said that scammers often spoof their location to crash such groups and then peddle fake bitcoin investments, hacking tools, stolen social security numbers, and other scams”

Hassan in an email told ArsTechnica, “Most users don't understand they are sharing their location, and perhaps their home address. If a female used that feature to chat with a local group, she can be stalked by unwanted users.”

Thankfully, the ‘People Nearby’ feature is turned off by default and it can be a helpful feature when turned on.

Hassan reached out to Telegram via email and in reply it said, “ Users in the People Nearby section intentionally share their location, and this feature is disabled by default. It's expected that determining the exact location is possible under certain conditions. Unfortunately, this case is not covered by our bug bounty program.”

While Telegram claims it is not an issue, it is highly advisable to turn off the feature when not needed to avoid giving away your precise location details to unwanted online stalkers.