https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/russias-lgbtq-community-is-turning-to-telegram-as-the-government-cracks-down-on-them/
But people still worry that the Kremlin is monitoring the app.
Lemmy is not designed to provide reasonably-hardened anonymity in the sort of way that Hyphanet, I2P, or maybe Tor or something like that is.
I would not recommend using Lemmy if I were seriously concerned about government prosecution for content on it.
Lemmy's a good alternative for something like Reddit.
lavender.ltgc.i2p exists. It's Lemmy instance avaliable from i2p and tor. But it's mostly pony instance.
Hm. As long as you only interact with Lemmy through a (trusted) VPN, or even through Tor, you're just as safe using Lemmy as you would be any other website. Servers can always see your IP by default, and the owners of those servers can be coerced to give it away by whatever external forces. If you hide your IP, they can't. That's pretty much it.
Shout out to that one user named Good Girl who swore that being on Hexbear and Lemmygrad meant she got better treatment than the rest of lemmy.
I hope she gets over her self-hatred and loves herself as much as outside of those spaces.
It only really impacted me and a few others on Blahaj/196. She "swore off" the rest of Lemmy (still has it, still uses it) and said that being on Hexbear was better for her than other spaces online, and anyone disagreeing, even other trans women, were all wrong.
I don't understand why someone would downvote you or why this opinion would cause an impact of any kind? People say all sorts of crazy things online. Was she particularly rude, trollish or baitey?
She thought that the group of trans people that run 196 was somehow enabling transphobia and other horrid things when we constantly removed it.
And when we removed it, she said it was better for communication if kept things up to show the idiots.
And then when I kept it up, she got mad at me for not instantly banning and removing them.
Like everything 196 does was inherently a master plan where we messed with all users just for her.
She's banned because she constantly went "I can't wait to leave this place" and never did. So I left the ban note along the lines of "If you want to leave, you can. You're not, you're harassing users and defending tankies, so take this time to breath some air."
At a guess: "these things are necessary to secure the state from Western agitators and things will change."
The great thing about never interacting with a group of people is that you can just make up whatever you want about them.
I'm literally interacting with you right now. Did you think I couldn't see you were from lemmy.ml? Do you think you're the only one from lemmy.ml who comments in this community?
Surely you'll have no trouble producing the receipts for what you said then, right? Since you didn't make it up, can you link to where you saw it?
We wouldn't need to guess if these people interacted on such topics, but they don't. Wonder why.
I'm literally right here interacting on that exact topic right now. I've seen plenty of discussions from the people mentioned about the topic and newsflash, they don't say that. Y'all just would much prefer to pass around rumors and dismissive charicatures rather than investigating what we actually believe.
I literally said it was a guess. That means I did make it up.
Please read what I write before flying off the handle next time.
I've heard plenty of "LGBT Rights is wrong because it means forcing Western Values on other cultures" stories from Tankies. It was enough to prove Horseshoe Theory to me.
All my experiences with hexbear was with their toxic userbase so yes and no :) And I would make sure that it stays that way.
Russia is terrible on LGBT rights.
Being a tankie doesn't mean that you agree with everything any non-Western state does, it just means that you're critical of war and are willing to consider internationalist perspectives.
What? It absolutely does not. It means you're an authoritarian "communist".
Yeah, I don't fully agree with their decision to intervene in the Ukrainian civil war, just as I don't agree with Ukraine's shelling of Donbass in violation of Minsk II, or with the coup and banning of opposition parties that led the disputed territories to declare independence.
The best case scenario, as has been the case since the start, is for a peace agreement to be reached as soon as possible to prevent further loss of life. Which reactionary government controls the disputed territories isn't worth people dying over.
Yeah, I don't fully agree with their decision to intervene in the Ukrainian civil war
Of course Russia had nothing to do with the war. They would never fund and support the separatists, or spread anti Ukrainian propaganda amongst the Russian speaking population, because Putin loves democracy and just wants the best for everyone, of course. /s
Let's not forget that there would have been no "Ukrainian Civil War" if Russia hadn't annexed Crimea.
I used precisely one adjective in that comment to describe Russia's government, could you tell me what it was?
No response tells me you can't read.
You said you "don't fully agree" with Russia intervening in the civil war (by shelling kyiv I guess, because theres definitely civil war there). As if they didn't provoke it in the first place to justify their invasion.
I also wouldn't expect people who are criticial of war to say that they "don't fully agree" with Russia waging a war of aggression and commiting mass murder and war crimes in Ukraine, I would expect some actual condemnation of such atrocities.
I used precisely one adjective in that comment to describe Russia’s government, could you tell me what it was?
Answer the question, please. It's not hard.
Someone who supports Imperialism when America/"the West" isn't doing it. Really, that's all it boils down to.
Here's a hint: I think a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine should involve a new referendum organized and monitored by an impartial body (so not one picked by either Russia or NATO) before I was comfortable with Crimea or other parts of Eastern Ukraine joining Russia.
It's a good compromise because it leaves everyone unhappy.
Or Russia can get the fuck out of Ukraine. Your "compromise" is letting the mugger only take half of your wallet.
Giving concessions to Nazi Germany is how the world let WWII happen in the first place. Russia has been allowed to fuck around for far too much. They should have been stopped when they invaded Georgia. Letting them have parts of Ukraine will only give them time to regroup and possibly invade either Ukraine again or some other nation.
before I was comfortable with Crimea or other parts of Eastern Ukraine joining Russia.
Are you currently in Crimea? Other parts of Ukraine? Is this really your call?
Your “compromise” is letting the mugger only take half of your wallet.
People aren't property, you don't get to keep them just because you own them. They have self determination.
Are you currently in Crimea? Other parts of Ukraine? Is this really your call?
No, it's theirs, which is why I want them to have a choice! I'm the one that wants to let them choose whether they join Russia or stay with Ukraine. You're the one that wants to hold them against their will if they truly want to leave.
I'd be comfortable with allowing them to do what they want. Why do you not want the same?
Interesting. How about a counter-offer? Russia gets the fuck off the Ukraine, pays reparations, and maybe in a decade or so of being nice the rest of the world starts trading with them.
Ukraine has/had an imperfect government, that doesn't mean they deserve to be invaded. My government is far far from perfect that doesn't mean I should be punished with bombs going off on my block and my children kidnapped.
Fuck Putin and fuck his supporters and fuck anyone who both sides this crap. Russia could have sat there and broken their own people forever and no one would have raised a finger to stop it they invaded a neighbor that was zero threat to them. For what? So an elderly despot could enjoy his fantasies of restoring a dead empire.
Interesting. How about a counter-offer? Russia gets the fuck off the Ukraine, pays reparations, and maybe in a decade or so of being nice the rest of the world starts trading with them.
The rest of the world is trading with them. It's just the NATO bloc that has cut them off, which is now bifurcating the global economy. It's one of the main reasons for inflation all throughout the West, because our currencies are now not being used by a growing segment of the world economy.
Your counteroffer isn't happening and if we keep this up things will only get worse. We can't dictate terms. We have to negotiate.
Ukraine has/had an imperfect government, that doesn’t mean they deserve to be invaded.
Ukraine had a pro-Western revolution/coup that removed Russian allies and replaced them with NATO allies. It doesn't matter if they "deserve" to be invaded (I don't think they deserved it, for the record), Russia merely did what was in it's geopolitical interests.
Fuck Putin and fuck his supporters and fuck anyone who both sides this crap.
Deeply unserious. 😔
Telegramm and "safe"?
Sorry, but these people must have been living under a rock (which actually is quite likely as we are talking about Russia).
Telegram has control over the content and channels and has been working with governments in the past.
This is what happens when western people read such articles. They turn into denial. Telegram is basically the safest place in Russia's digital space.
these people must have been living under a rock
Russians are very advanced when it comes to the internet. They spend more time in it because real life sucks more than in other countries.
Telegram has control over the content and channels
Doesn't mean anything. Especially for groups who just want to communicate.
has been working with governments in the past
There is not enough evidence to support the probability of telegram making steps to make finding gay people easier for Russian authorities.
Telegram is basically the safest place in Russia's digital space.
Yep. Alternatives are:
Everything else is not popular.
these people must have been living under a rock
Russians are very advanced when it comes to the internet.
Putin does try to bring Russia into stone age. Russians are very advanced thanks for 1990-2016 period when goverment didn't try to destroy internet.
They spend more time in it because real life sucks more than in other countries.
This is true. We probably have second worst healthcare after America.
Is signal not a viable option? Or can you still not use it without leaking your phone-number?
Not sure about Signal. I remember times when it was phone number focused. Having visible phone number in Russia means FSB might knock on your door.
The only thing better than telegram I can think of and relatively popular is Matrix. But even in my university I don't know about anyone else, who uses it.
Telegram requires a phone number. That's a none starter for me. There's a huge number of services that don't. This might as well be a honey pot for trapping more lgbt people. Russia has used dating services before in their crackdowns.
That only works to avoid creeps online. A government would have the resources to track down the paper trail of who bought the burner.
Not when you pay with cash a few towns away.
I can go to a supermarket and buy a phone and SIM for less than £10.
Signal requires a phone number, I use Signal.
How does encrypted email work when we are discussing messaging platforms?
Do you trust using third party encryption keys or are you going to get everybody you meet to learn PGP.
Telegram requires a phone number.
It does and it sucks. But you can still have adequate protection because knowing your number won't help authorities much. They have to find you in some group they deem illegal for anything to happen. They must find your account first, then add your number and see if that's your account. Telegram did some improvements on that issue at some point, so it should take much longer and more resources to do.
Also it's relatively easy to get a sim card not tied to your passport in Russia. Also using a cheap sim from another country is also an option, since you can set up a cloud password so that even if someone has your sim they won't access your data fully.
This might as well be a honey pot for trapping more lgbt people.
A service requirement of a telephone number is not a honey spot. But sure some groups are honey spots. Yes, authorities mainly operate within the service. It can get to overwhelming extent but that mist mean they don't have real backdoor-like access.
Russians are very advanced when it comes to the internet.
I do not doubt that for marginalized groups such as the LGBTQ comunity, who have to watch every step they do. But given the restrictions placed on everyday online services in Russia I'd assume the average citizen has harder time.
Doesn't mean anything. Especially for groups who just want to communicate.
A subset of society that's marginalized at best and killed at the worst doesn't care about who can read and influence their communication? That seems highly shortsighted to me.
There is not enough evidence to support the probability of telegram making steps to make finding gay people easier for Russian authorities.
That we know of. Given that the company behind Telegram has been involved in various sketchy situations I wouldn't bet my wellbeing on a service that might or might not share information with a corrupt government..
I'd assume the average citizen has harder time.
Average Russian knows more about VPN than most others because of tons of restrictions. And telegram only helps with that by providing workaround and info about proxies.
doesn't care about who can read and influence their communication
Groups chats are private by default, you have to change that by yourself to make it public. There is no evidence that anyone else would be able to read it whatsoever while it's private. The only danger comes from actual members who may invite unwanted people or share screenshots of the conversation.
the company behind Telegram has been involved in various sketchy situations
That's the only thing you have. Any other company that could provide a service with similar features would have to be involved in very similar sketchy situations and there is no way around that. Signal doesn't care about public communication features which puts it into a whole different weight category. Also signal would hardly care to help Russians restore access if it gets blocked.
I wouldn't bet my wellbeing
Not surprising. You're clearly not Russian.
You must be in Russia. I am basing this on your writing style. Although your English is good, you seem Russian.
Telegram isn't always private, but it does allow people to blend in with other users. There are other more private Apps, like SimpleXChat, but with fewer connections to a SimpleXChat server LGBT people could be afraid they would stand out if they all started using it.
It's not a matter of finding a more private app. It's about keeping a group and have an opportunity to expand it, reach more people who would need to be a part of it. Any app in Russia that is not telegram would be too obscure for that. For now it's a perfect balance between privacy and reach.
A subset of society that's marginalized at best and killed at the worst doesn't care about who can read and influence their communication? That seems highly shortsighted to me.
That we know of. Given that the company behind Telegram has been involved in various sketchy situations I wouldn't bet my wellbeing on a service that might or might not share information with a corrupt government..
Share informarion with Putin? No, very unlikely. Ban opposition channels during elections? Confirmed yes.
Apple banned opposition's apps durung elections too. And Google.
If you think Telegram isn’t a project by the Kremlin, I have a nice plot of land to sell to you. On Uranus.
There's a Russian guy I know in some... adult roleplay circles.., kinkiest chap I know. I worry about him... He tried telling me Telegram was "safer", didn't know what he meant.
He meant it is not controlled by FSB like VK and mailru shit and doesn't show phone number to entire world like whatsapp.