Telegram by default does not utilize end-to-end encryption. You have to start a secret chat with another user. Both of you need to be online at the same time, a

Telegram by default does not utilize end-to-end encryption. You have to start a secret chat with another user. Both of you need to be online at the same time, and there's no support for secret group chats. All of that to say, I guarantee the majority of Telegram users aren't utilizing E2E-encryption so the Gmail comparison is valid in that light. Though my counterpoint would be that privacy advocates likely know how to use PGP and use it to securely communicate with fellow privacy advocates via email.