Gift API Restrictions Were Not Intended

On July 4 around 23:00 UTC, the official channel BotNews made a post about the issues with gift purchases that occurred earlier.

They made it clear that it was a technical issue, and not an intentional restriction. They also mentioned that the outage occurred exactly between 18:10 and 19:35 UTC.

New telegramdesktop/tdesktop release: v5.16.3 (stable)

- Allow removing / charging fee in channel direct messages.
- Don't offer creating checklists in channels.
- Support author channel in gifts.

Fine Issued by Australian Regulator eSafety

According to The Guardian, Telegram delayed providing information on measures it had taken to combat terrorism and materials related to extremism and child exploitation by 160 days.

Multiple companies, including Telegram, were issued a notice on March 18th of last year to provide said information by May 6th of last year, but Telegram provided the requested information on October 13th of last year.

The Australian internet regulator has assessed this delay at $957,780 AUD, or more than $600,000 USD. The platform now has 28 days to either appeal the fine, pay it, or request an extension to the payment deadline.

It is stated that Telegram intends to appeal the fine, citing that it is “unfair and disproportionate”.

#Australia #fines

Telegram Desktop Updated to Version 5.16.3

What's new:
• Allow removing / charging fee in channel direct messages.
• Don't offer creating checklists in channels.
• Support author channel in gifts.

Download:
• Windows/macOS/Linux: official website or GitHub.
• Windows: Microsoft Store.
• macOS: App Store.
• Linux: Flathub or Snapcraft.

#update #desktop

Translations Are Becoming Available Again

The message translation features seem to be gradually returning.

It is worth noting that not all attempts to translate messages are successful: Some users can translate all messages, others only in specific chats, and some are not able to translate any message at all.

The translation of entire chats is still not completely working.

#translations

Telegram Restores Translation Feature Using OpenAI

Telegram has fully restored its built-in #translation feature. Previously powered by Google, it now uses #OpenAI for text translation. Additionally, #Telegram's voice-to-text feature was powered by OpenAI’s Whisper model long ago.

Img source : 💌💌💌

Ad Banners Under Videos

Telegram has launched a new advertising format for video playback.

Description:
• A text block appears at the bottom of the screen while watching a video.
• Maximum text length: 160 characters.

Display Parameters:
• Ads appear 5 seconds after the video starts.
• The ad banner can only be dismissed after 9 seconds and will close automatically after 30 seconds.
• A repeat ad may appear no sooner than 2 minutes later.

Targeting:
• Ads are shown only within videos in channels.
• Advertising purchases are available exclusively through ad agencies.

#AboutAds

Telegram User Identification via Facial Recognition

Users on Telegram’s test server have discovered an officially verified bot that scans faces using the camera — likely for identity verification purposes.

This bot’s development is presumably linked to a law that will soon take effect in the United Kingdom. The law requires websites and apps distributing adult content to verify the age of users seeking access to such material.

The @tginfo editorial team firmly believes that no identity verification requirements will be introduced for users outside the UK in the near future.

#UnitedKingdom

Telegram Improves Gift Sending System

In the source code of Telegram Beta version, strings have been discovered indicating several new features being developed by the messenger's team:

• Improvements for organizing gifts
Users now have access to a system for organizing gifts into collections, with the ability to add and manage them. There are also mentions of limits on sending certain gifts.

• Premium gifts
Some gifts will be available exclusively to Telegram Premium subscribers.

• Limit on gifts per user
The source code contains mentions of restrictions on the number of gifts that can be sent to a single user. Different gifts will have individual limits.

• Profile level
References to a "profile level" have been found in the code, which depends on the number of stars spent.

• Age verification
According to the discovered strings, this is a requirement of UK legislation, and Telegram emphasizes that photos used for age verification will not be stored on their servers.

• Flexible subscription options
A string has been found indicating the introduction of Premium subscriptions different from the standard monthly and annual plans, such as a 2-year option.

There were also removed strings related to local translation models.

It's important to note that currently only mentions of these features have been discovered in Telegram's code, and they haven't been officially announced yet, so the final versions of these functions may undergo some changes.

#Android #gifts #premium

Gift Collections

In the update of Telegram for Android and iOS version 11.13.3, collections for personal gifts have become available.

This feature allows users to organize their owned gifts into separate themed sets or folders.

Key details:
• Collection names can be up to 12 characters long.
• Users can create up to 9 different collections.
• A single gift can be added to multiple collections at once.
• Other users will be able to view your collections — unless a gift is hidden in your profile settings.

You can create and browse gift collections via “My Profile” > “Gifts” in the menu.

According to strings found in the app’s source code, users may eventually be able to share links to specific collections.

#Android #iOS

Scammers on the Telegram Marketplace

Currently, on Telegram’s marketplace where upgraded gifts are sold for Stars, some gifts appear at prices significantly lower than others. 
However, purchasing such a gift is impossible, as scammers quickly set a different price every second, triggering the error “Price changed. Please try again.” when attempting to purchase it.

The gift owner’s name often includes a prompt to open the description, where users are encouraged to activate a business bot with specific permissions. 
Allegedly, this helps resolve the issue of frequently changing gift prices.

In reality, this is an old scam scheme we’ve already covered on our channel. 
Once permissions are granted, the business bot steals your valuable limited-edition gifts — and recovering them becomes impossible.

#gifts #scam

Telegram Desktop Updated to Version 5.16.6

What’s new in 5.16.6:
• Paste text from clipboard without formatting using Ctrl+Shift+V.
• Fixed bug with negative unread message counter in folders.
• Resolved issues with gift collections.
• Corrected misaligned buttons.

What’s new in 5.16.5:
• Gift collections.
• User age verification (likely only for the UK).
• Various bug fixes.

Download:
• Windows/macOS/Linux: official website or GitHub.
• Windows: Microsoft Store.
• macOS: App Store.
• Linux: Flathub, Snapcraft.

#update #desktop

BotFather Is Now Available as a Mini App

Bot owners can now manage their bots through a dedicated Mini App: t.me/BotFather?startapp.

The web interface provides access to all features, including creating new bots and editing existing ones.

#bots

This trend in the EU is alarming. I've seen German requests to prosecute users for merely criticizing government officials. Calling a politician a 'pig' or 'lizard' is now treated as a crime. Telegram doesn't comply with such demands — we stand against political persecution.

- Durov