Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, will allow users to cloak their telephone numbers to safeguard <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/million-march-huge-hong-kong-protest-against-china-extradition-law-225733">Hong Kong protesters against </a>monitoring by authorities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the effort.

The update to Telegram, planned for release over the next few days, will allow protesters to prevent mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities from discovering their identities in the app's large group chats.

Hong Kong's Security Bureau told Reuters it has "been acting responsibly to deal with the current difficult time with a view to restoring the public order".&nbsp;

It declined to comment about whether it had tried to identify protesters by using the Telegram app.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-protesters-violated-one-country-two-systems-bottom-line-china-foreign-ministry-237656">China’s Foreign Ministry</a>, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours.

Thousands of Hong Kong protesters take their cues from more than 100 groups on Telegram, according to protest organisers and supporters.

Protesters use encrypted apps like Telegram to mobilize swiftly through multiple group chats, with less risk of police infiltration, an in-depth report published by Reuters earlier this month said.

The groups are used to post everything from news on upcoming protests to tips on dousing tear gas canisters fired by the police to the identities of suspected undercover police and the access codes to buildings in Hong Kong where protesters can hide.

Some protesters expressed concern that authorities could use the movement's reliance on Telegram to monitor and arrest organisers.&nbsp;

Telegram chat groups used to organise public protests are often accessible to anyone and participants use pseudonyms.

Telegram allows users to search for other users by uploading phone numbers.&nbsp;

This function allows a new user to quickly learn whether those in a phone's contact book are already using the app, the group said.

Some protesters say they believe Chinese or Hong Kong security officials have exploited the function by uploading large quantities of phone numbers.&nbsp;

Reuters was unable to determine if this has occurred.

The app automatically matches phone numbers with the user names in the group. Authorities then only need to request the owners of the phone numbers from the local telecom service to learn the users' true identities.

Telegram has detected evidence that Hong Kong or mainland Chinese authorities may have uploaded numbers to identify protesters, said the person with direct knowledge of the situation.&nbsp;

But it is unclear whether authorities have successfully used this tactic to locate protesters.

Telegram did not respond to a request for comment.

A group of Hong Kong engineers who posted their findings on an online forum earlier this month also said that a feature in Telegram's design may have allowed mainland Chinese orHong Kong authorities to learn the real identities of users.

The fix Telegram is working on would allow users to disable matching by phone number.

&nbsp;That option represents a balance between making it easy for users to find their contacts and the privacy needs of those who rely on the app for protection against state security agents, the source said.

But wide adoption of the optional security setting would make the app far harder to use for the vast majority of its more than 200 million consumers, who rely on uploading phone contacts to identify friends and family members on the app, the source said.

In June, Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov said the messaging service experienced a “state actor-sized” cyber attack and pointed to China as its likely country of origin.

He provided no further details but said the attack coincided with protests in Hong Kong. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) did not respond to a faxed request for comment at the time.

The move by Telegram comes as Hong Kong police arrested a number of prominent activists and three lawmakers on Friday. Nearly 900 people have been arrested since the demonstrations began three months ago.

Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, will allow users to cloak their telephone numbers to safeguard Hong Kong protesters against monitoring by authorities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the effort.

Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, will allow users to cloak their telephone numbers to safeguard Hong Kong protesters against monitoring by authorities, according to a person with direct knowledge of the effort. The update to Telegram, planned for release over the next few days, will allow protesters to prevent mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities from discovering their identities in the app's large group chats. Hong Kong's Security Bureau told Reuters it has "been acting responsibly to deal with the current difficult time with a view to restoring the public order". It declined to comment about whether it had tried to identify protesters by using the Telegram app. China’s Foreign Ministry, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside of business hours. Thousands of Hong Kong protesters take their cues from more than 100 groups on Telegram, according to protest organisers and supporters. Protesters use encrypted apps like Telegram to mobilize swiftly through multiple group chats, with less risk of police infiltration, an in-depth report published by Reuters earlier this month said. The groups are used to post everything from news on upcoming protests to tips on dousing tear gas canisters fired by the police to the identities of suspected undercover police and the access codes to buildings in Hong Kong where protesters can hide. Some protesters expressed concern that authorities could use the movement's reliance on Telegram to monitor and arrest organisers. Telegram chat groups used to organise public protests are often accessible to anyone and participants use pseudonyms. Telegram allows users to search for other users by uploading phone numbers. This function allows a new user to quickly learn whether those in a phone's contact book are already using the app, the group said. Some protesters say they believe Chinese or Hong Kong security officials have exploited the function by uploading large quantities of phone numbers. Reuters was unable to determine if this has occurred. The app automatically matches phone numbers with the user names in the group. Authorities then only need to request the owners of the phone numbers from the local telecom service to learn the users' true identities. Telegram has detected evidence that Hong Kong or mainland Chinese authorities may have uploaded numbers to identify protesters, said the person with direct knowledge of the situation. But it is unclear whether authorities have successfully used this tactic to locate protesters. Telegram did not respond to a request for comment. A group of Hong Kong engineers who posted their findings on an online forum earlier this month also said that a feature in Telegram's design may have allowed mainland Chinese orHong Kong authorities to learn the real identities of users. The fix Telegram is working on would allow users to disable matching by phone number. That option represents a balance between making it easy for users to find their contacts and the privacy needs of those who rely on the app for protection against state security agents, the source said. But wide adoption of the optional security setting would make the app far harder to use for the vast majority of its more than 200 million consumers, who rely on uploading phone contacts to identify friends and family members on the app, the source said. In June, Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov said the messaging service experienced a “state actor-sized” cyber attack and pointed to China as its likely country of origin. He provided no further details but said the attack coincided with protests in Hong Kong. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) did not respond to a faxed request for comment at the time. The move by Telegram comes as Hong Kong police arrested a number of prominent activists and three lawmakers on Friday. Nearly 900 people have been arrested since the demonstrations began three months ago.

Messaging app Telegram moves to protect the identity of Hong Kong protester

The chief executive of Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, said on Wednesday the messaging service experienced a "state actor-sized" cyber attack and pointed to China as its likely country of origin.

The service was hit by a "powerful DDoS attack" originating from IP addresses mostly inside China, Pavel Durov, Telegram's CEO, said in a tweet.

The attack coincided with protests in Hong Kong, he added.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks involve sending large numbers of requests in a targeted attack, causing partial or full service interruptions.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have marched in Hong Kong this week in opposition to a controversial law that would allow people in the city to be extradited to China.

Chinese state media have sharply condemned the protests, which they say is motivated by outside forces and undermines social stability in Hong Kong.

The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which oversees the country's cyber policy, did not respond immediately to a faxed request for comment.

Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he was not aware of the situation when asked about Durov's accusation during a daily briefing on Thursday.

Telegram and other encrypted messaging apps are popular tools for protesters globally, who use them to coordinate without tipping off authorities.

Durov added that historical attacks of the same size had coincided with protests in Hong Kong, adding, "This case was not an exception."

Other apps have faced blocks in China as well during political movements in Hong Kong. In 2014, at the height of the city's Umbrella Movement, Beijing cut access to photo-sharing app Instagram inside the mainland.

Chinese officials have previously denied allegations of cyber attacks, pointing out that China is a frequently a victim of outside attacks.

The chief executive of Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, said on Wednesday the messaging service experienced a "state actor-sized" cyber attack and pointed to China as its likely country of origin.

The chief executive of Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app, said on Wednesday the messaging service experienced a "state actor-sized" cyber attack and pointed to China as its likely country of origin. The service was hit by a "powerful DDoS attack" originating from IP addresses mostly inside China, Pavel Durov, Telegram's CEO, said in a tweet. The attack coincided with protests in Hong Kong, he added. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks involve sending large numbers of requests in a targeted attack, causing partial or full service interruptions. Hundreds of thousands of protesters have marched in Hong Kong this week in opposition to a controversial law that would allow people in the city to be extradited to China. Chinese state media have sharply condemned the protests, which they say is motivated by outside forces and undermines social stability in Hong Kong. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), which oversees the country's cyber policy, did not respond immediately to a faxed request for comment. Meanwhile, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he was not aware of the situation when asked about Durov's accusation during a daily briefing on Thursday. Telegram and other encrypted messaging apps are popular tools for protesters globally, who use them to coordinate without tipping off authorities. Durov added that historical attacks of the same size had coincided with protests in Hong Kong, adding, "This case was not an exception." Other apps have faced blocks in China as well during political movements in Hong Kong. In 2014, at the height of the city's Umbrella Movement, Beijing cut access to photo-sharing app Instagram inside the mainland. Chinese officials have previously denied allegations of cyber attacks, pointing out that China is a frequently a victim of outside attacks.

Messaging service Telegram CEO points to China as likely origin of cyber attack

Popular dating app Tinder is now required to share users' data with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-people-missing-after-blasts-at-russian-military-plant-22-injured-223432">Russian security services</a> after being placed on an official register, the country's telecoms watchdog said Monday.

Tinder has over 50 million users swiping right to select dating profiles and find a match. It is part of the US-based Match Group of social apps whose parent firm is InterActiveCorp.&nbsp;

The Roskomnadzor watchdog said that Tinder has been added to its register "after it presented the necessary information".

Roskomnadzor -- together with Russia's law enforcement authorities and security agencies including the feared FSB, the successor to the KGB -- keeps a register of so-called "organisers of information distribution".&nbsp;

The register lists 175 sites and services including Russia's biggest bank Sberbank and the country's popular social media network VK.

By law, the companies on the register must store user data in Russia for six months -- including the content of messages exchanged -- and hand over any of the information to law enforcement authorities if requested to do so.

If the company refuses to comply, the authorities can act to block sites, as was the case last year with the embattled Telegram messaging app, created by maverick Russian Internet guru Pavel Durov.

In a statement, a Tinder spokesperson said the company had "received a request to register with the Russian authorities, and, as of now, we have registered to be compliant".

"However, this registration in no way shares any user or personal data with any Russian regulatory bodies and we have not handed over any data to their government," the spokesperson added.

Some Russian internet users made fun of the move, warning that FSB officers will now have access to any steamy correspondence or unrequited pickup attempts.

Popular dating app Tinder is now required to share users' data with Russian security services after being placed on an official register, the country's telecoms watchdog said Monday.

Popular dating app Tinder is now required to share users' data with Russian security services after being placed on an official register, the country's telecoms watchdog said Monday. Tinder has over 50 million users swiping right to select dating profiles and find a match. It is part of the US-based Match Group of social apps whose parent firm is InterActiveCorp. The Roskomnadzor watchdog said that Tinder has been added to its register "after it presented the necessary information". Roskomnadzor -- together with Russia's law enforcement authorities and security agencies including the feared FSB, the successor to the KGB -- keeps a register of so-called "organisers of information distribution". The register lists 175 sites and services including Russia's biggest bank Sberbank and the country's popular social media network VK. By law, the companies on the register must store user data in Russia for six months -- including the content of messages exchanged -- and hand over any of the information to law enforcement authorities if requested to do so. If the company refuses to comply, the authorities can act to block sites, as was the case last year with the embattled Telegram messaging app, created by maverick Russian Internet guru Pavel Durov. In a statement, a Tinder spokesperson said the company had "received a request to register with the Russian authorities, and, as of now, we have registered to be compliant". "However, this registration in no way shares any user or personal data with any Russian regulatory bodies and we have not handed over any data to their government," the spokesperson added. Some Russian internet users made fun of the move, warning that FSB officers will now have access to any steamy correspondence or unrequited pickup attempts.

Russia requires Tinder to share users' data with security services

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Messaging app Telegram moves to protect the identity of Hong Kong protester

Messaging service Telegram CEO points to China as likely origin of cyber attack

Russia requires Tinder to share users' data with security services