You currently need a phone number to sign up for Telegram. Add an option to sign up using an email address or another method, like some messengers do (e.g., Wire, Matrix, Threema, Session).
Potential spam issues could be mitigated by:
Only allowing addresses from major email providers at first and slowly expanding reach if it's manageable.
Automatically limiting such accounts from contacting strangers until their perform some additional actions.
Allowing group admins to prevent such accounts from posting by default.
Use Cases
Avoiding an identifier tied to your identity, hiding identity from governments or people who know your number.
Workaround
Use a virtual phone number.
Warning: Do NOT use temporary numbers to connect to your account, as you may lose access to your account when you lose access to the number.
So in my country you can buy them on eBay. Normally in my country you have to show your national ID card or something to buy a Sim card or more clearly, to activate it. These are pre-activated by others, the names on them are quite suspicious, seems like fake IDs are being used to verify them. But why would you care, as long as it isn’t registered on your name. By law you can buy activated Sim cards but you should do a ownership transfer. But really no one is checking who currently owns the Sim card so if you just do not do the ownership transfer you can use a Sim card on someone else’s name basically you’re anonymous then.
But I live in one of the most free countries in the world so… I feel there are places where this would be much more difficult or at least could get you some serious trouble.
Brandon
You don’t even need a SIM card. Just download a VoIP app. (most of these are free and give you a northern america number e.g. +1 ___ , if you don’t mind that)
Telegram could create its own Proton Mail-style email domain and per requirements for new accounts.
Accounts without a linked phone number:
- are limited from accessing the private of any contact being restricted - 6 months without being able to go to the private of non-contacts - are limited from creating public usernames - are more limited to join many groups per day, week or month.
Email accounts with a linked phone number:
- Free access as it currently is. - Removing the phone number, loses the free requirements, running the remaining restriction time.
Hugo
Adding one more thing I forgot to put in the post:
- Accounts created with email only and without a linked phone number would automatically be deleted within 1 month of inactivity.
I protest! Need full telegram account without phone number, registred by email (as one of way, but not only). I ready to pay for this account about 1$ per year (10$ for many years forward) or something like it. Money is best anti-spam protection, phone number - not. I recieve many spam messages (wrote about - [DELETED] #7605) now, so phone number is not spam ptotection!
M
Moritz
Even today spamming is bad, so you would need much more restrictions. 1. They wouldn't be allowed to write a pm to anyone without getting a message from them first, or being personally invited by a mod in a private group. They also wouldn't be able to write a post outside of a private group.
2. And they have to get their writing permissions taken away if one member in one group marks one of their posts as spam. - Until a mod gives back the writing permissions.
3. Furthermore, you would need good captchas.
Mantas
Using phone numbers is not reliable. I had a case, when someone joined Telegram using a very old number of my fried, from my contacts, but my friend no longer use that phone number and someone else reused it. But Telegram displayed name as it was in my contacts, not a real name of that person. So I mistakenly assumed, that this was my friend, but in fact it was not.
One phone number can be reused multiple times, by different people and it is not a reliable authentication method.
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In my country you legally need to verify you identity, but that doesen't stop you from buying a pre verified SIM. People sell them, even in bulk.
Given you found a way to purchase it anonymously.
Accounts without a linked phone number:
- are limited from accessing the private of any contact being restricted
- 6 months without being able to go to the private of non-contacts
- are limited from creating public usernames
- are more limited to join many groups per day, week or month.
Email accounts with a linked phone number:
- Free access as it currently is.
- Removing the phone number, loses the free requirements, running the remaining restriction time.
- Accounts created with email only and without a linked phone number would automatically be deleted within 1 month of inactivity.
1. They wouldn't be allowed to write a pm to anyone without getting a
message from them first, or being personally invited by a mod in a
private group.
They also wouldn't be able to write a post outside of a private group.
2. And they have to get their writing permissions taken away if one
member in one group marks one of their posts as spam. - Until a mod
gives back the writing permissions.
3. Furthermore, you would need good captchas.
One phone number can be reused multiple times, by different people and it is not a reliable authentication method.