Telegram is offering a new way to get a free premium subscription in exchange for voluntarily providing your phone number to transmit one-time passwords (OTP) to other users. While many may see it as a good way to get a premium subscription without paying a penny, the option poses significant privacy risks.
Discovered by the Telegram channel TGInfoEn, the feature is being implemented in some countries for Telegram for Android users. If you agree to let Telegram use your number as an OTP relay, the company will send you a transferable code for Telegram Premium.
The terms and conditions of service for this peer-to-peer (P2PL) login program state that the company will send a maximum of 150 OTP messages per month. Participating users, who may also be charged for the use of local and international SMS, will have to reach a certain quota in order to use the free subscription. Well, your phone bill could end up being more expensive than the base cost of the Premium subscription.
But, in addition to the monetary issue, there is also the enormous problem of privacy, which allows strangers to search for your phone number and use it to send spam and scam messages. Telegram allows users to hide their phone numbers from strangers, but using your number as a relay could allow them to find your Telegram account.
The terms and conditions state that individuals participating in the program will not hold Telegram responsible for any damages and grant the company absolute indemnity for all claims related to P2PL: “You acknowledge and agree that Telegram shall not be liable for any costs, expenses, damages, or any other adverse or unforeseen consequences that you may incur as a direct or indirect result of your present or past participation in the P2PL Program.”
