Executive Summary
The reliance on phone numbers and SMS for authentication is a 20th-century legacy that has become the primary vector for cybercrime (SIM Swapping, phishing, and intercept attacks). Telegram should lead the industry by transitioning to a Phone-less Identity Model, leveraging Passkeys, Hardware Security Keys (YubiKeys), and Proactive AI to eliminate fraud while enhancing user privacy.
Key Pillars of the Proposal
Decoupling Identity from Phone Numbers
The Problem: Phone numbers are centralized, traceable, and vulnerable to carrier-side exploits.The Solution: Allow users to register and authenticate using Email + Passkeys. This removes the "Single Point of Failure" (the SIM card) and provides true digital sovereignty.
Mandatory Hardware & Biometric Standards (Optional Phase-in)
Implementation: Support for FIDO2/WebAuthn (YubiKeys) and TOTP (Dynamic Codes) should be the new "Gold Standard" for account protection.Biometric Integration: Use device-level biometrics (FaceID/Fingerprint) as the primary 2FA method, making unauthorized remote access technically impossible even if a password is leaked.
Proactive AI "Anti-Scam" Shield
Intent Analysis: Instead of reactive moderation, deploy an On-Device/Cloud Hybrid AI that identifies "Blatant Criminal Behavior."Automatic Warnings: If the AI detects a high probability of a scam (suspicious links, social engineering patterns like "send me your code"), it should trigger a full-screen "Red Alert" before the user can interact with the malicious content.Trust Scoring: Accounts secured with hardware keys and biometrics receive a "Verified Human" status, instantly filtering out massive bot-nets that rely on cheap, virtual phone numbers.
Seamless User Experience (Nudging)
Incentivized Adoption: While remaining optional for legacy devices, offer enhanced features or "High-Trust" badges for users who migrate to Passkeys and Biometrics.Simplified Recovery: Replace the outdated SMS recovery with Encrypted Email + AI Liveness Detection (Video Selfie) to verify the real owner in case of device loss.
Why Telegram?
WhatsApp and others are too slow and tied to traditional telecommunications. Telegram has the agility to declare the "End of the SMS Era." By adopting this model, Telegram will not only be the most private app but the most technically unhackable platform on Earth.
I know, but there will come a day when phone numbers disappear, even if they sell free numbers
P
Pab
And you, what do you suggest?
Ludovico
Agree! If they are privacy oriented they should get rid of the phone numbers for sure!
O125811liebe
telegram can not be about privacy. and true digital sovereignty is also not possible. think in complete old/new or upside-down ways.
BOSS
The idea is great, but I think phone number authentication is often presented as an innovation that simplifies registration. In reality, it's a chain that simplifies user tracking through the telecom operator. Lately, you can't even create an email address without phone number verification.
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and true digital sovereignty is also not possible.
think in complete old/new or upside-down ways.