UNLIKE ITS RIVAL WhatsApp, Telegram isn’t quite a household name in Ireland yet.

That hasn’t stopped the messaging app from reaching #3 in the social networking category on the Apple App Store.

Telegram is touted as a secure and privacy-focused messaging app. While that is appealing to many and useful in countries where free speech is curtailed, it has also led to the platform being used as a base for a range of illegal content and activities.

Now, is own founder Pavel Durov has been arrested, facing a range of charges in connection with the app, ranging from complicity in drug trafficking to refusing to share information or documents with investigators when required by law.

On this week’s episode of The Explainer, we’re joined by tech journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker to examine the app’s background, what exactly it’s used for, and where it stands in the privacy battle between tech companies and government.

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This episode was brought to you by presenter Laura Byrne, executive producer Sinéad O’Carroll and senior producer Nicky Ryan.