Tue · 16 Jun 2026
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Surveillance

Secret Chat

Risk flag

Telegram's end-to-end-encrypted chat mode with self-destructing messages. Content disappears on a timer, can't be screenshotted, and isn't visible to anyone but the two participants — including parents and even Telegram itself.

How kids use it

In a Telegram chat list, Secret Chats show a green lock icon. Their existence is the conversation, not a control problem — sextortion specifically migrates to them because the evidence trail self-deletes.

More Surveillance terms

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