Telegram is basically the safest place in Russia's digital space.
Yep. Alternatives are:
Mailru trash - comrade major knows everything
VK trash - comrade major knows everything
Whatsapp - comrade major knows your phone number, which means he knows who you 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.
Yep. Alternatives are:
Everything else is not popular.
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.
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.