What can I do about this clause?

{'method': 'IN_APP', 'recipient': 'Telegram app: Settings > Privacy & Security > Data Settings', 'difficulty': 'EASY', 'action_type': 'DELETE_DATA', 'instructions': 'Open Telegram, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Data Settings. From here you can delete synced contacts and manage stored data. To delete your account and all cloud data entirely, visit https://telegram.org/deactivate.', 'deadline_days': None, 'deadline_hours': None}

Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'FTC has jurisdiction over unfair or deceptive data security practices under FTC Act Section 5, relevant to representations about encryption and data access practices.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Cloud Chat Server Storage clause as high severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Cloud Chat Server Storage — Telegram

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What it is

Telegram stores your regular chat messages, photos, videos, and documents on its own servers in encrypted form, meaning Telegram holds the keys and can technically access this content.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Your everyday messages, photos, and videos sent in regular Telegram chats are stored on Telegram's servers and are accessible to Telegram, making them potentially subject to law enforcement requests or data breaches despite encryption at rest.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.

Delete Your Data

Open Telegram, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Data Settings. From here you can delete synced contacts and manage stored data. To delete your account and all cloud data entirely, visit https://telegram.org/deactivate.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Cloud Chat Server Storage and similar clauses.

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

Unlike Secret Chats, regular cloud chats are not end-to-end encrypted — Telegram can access their content, which also means they could be subject to legal disclosure requests.

View original clause language

Telegram is a cloud service. We store messages, photos, videos and documents from your cloud chats on our servers so that you can access your data from any of your devices anytime without having to rely on third-party backups. All data is stored heavily encrypted and the encryption keys in each case are stored in several other data centers in different jurisdictions. This way local engineers or physical intruders cannot get access to user data.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates GDPR Art. 5(1)(f) (integrity and confidentiality), Art. 6(1)(f) (legitimate interests), Art. 32 (security of processing), and Art. 44-49 (international transfers, given server locations). For UK/EEA users with data stored in Netherlands data centers, the UK GDPR and EU GDPR both apply. Enforcement authority is the relevant national DPA (e.g., Dutch AP for Netherlands-stored data) and the UK ICO.

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Applicable agencies

FTC

FTC has jurisdiction over unfair or deceptive data security practices under FTC Act Section 5, relevant to representations about encryption and data access practices.
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Provision details

Document information

Document

Telegram Privacy Policy

Entity

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 18, 2026

Last verified

April 18, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-002907

Document ID

CA-D-00174

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://telegram.org/privacy

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

379a11aff9a58881ad90b36de1e9479fc26a4085619c34a3087b3bd91bfdaaa1

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Telegram | Document: Telegram Privacy Policy | Record: CA-P-002907
Captured: 2026-04-18 10:46:01 UTC | SHA-256: 379a11aff9a58881…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/telegram/telegram-privacy-policy/cloud-chat-server-storage/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

High

Cloud Chat Server Storage