I tried to launch Telegram today, first on my laptop, then on my phone. Both applications are now requesting that I sign in, as if it’s the first time I’ve launched Telegram. So, I enter my phone# as is normal when signing in to Telegram. But, this time, I get a message that my phone# has been banned! So, I go looking for Telegram support on their website. No support link. Then I try Twitter, and they don’t accept tweets.
So, this is a lesson for everyone. Don’t use a proprietary service you don’t have control over, since you might invest a huge amount of time in building up a network of friends, family, and other professionals, just to find that something has happened to that service and it is no longer available.
I don’t know what caused the issue. It’s certainly not anything I’ve sent over Telegram. I’ve been using it to communicate with the Linux community. But, lesson learned. Use open-source and open platforms. Telegram is NOT a reliable method of communication if it can just be yanked out from under you with no notice, warning, nor recourse.