In statements released today, Pavel Durov, the inventor of Telegram, a messaging app that is among the most widely used social media sites in Russia and Ukraine, predicted that the app will surpass 1 billion monthly active users in less than a year.
TakeAway Point:
- The Telegram messaging app, one of the most popular social media platforms in Ukraine and Russia, will likely cross 1 billion active monthly users within a year, according to a statement by Pavel Durov.
- Durov stated that the goal of the app, which now has 900 million active users, is to remain a “neutral platform” and not a “player in geopolitics.”
- Moreover, Earlier this month, the company announced the introduction of its telegram business
Telegram User Base Surges
The free cloud-based service from Dubai that lets users share and receive calls, messages, and other files is spreading like a “forest fire,” according to Pavel Durov, who described it to US journalist Tucker Carlson in a rare interview.
“We’ll probably cross 1 billion monthly active users within a year now,”
Durov, who fully owns Telegram, told Tucker, according to the video interview posted on Tucker’s account on the X social media platform.
According to Durov, the app wants to stay a “neutral platform” and not a “role in geopolitics,” and it currently has 900 million active users. Based on allegations of government meddling in a company he started, the entrepreneur, who was born in Russia, said he left the country in 2014.
Telegram Competitors
With over 2 billion monthly active users, Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp is one of Telegram’s primary competitors. Telegram is expected to pursue a US IPO if the company achieves profitability, according to a March report from The Financial Times.
Telegram has developed into a vital tool for governments as well as a preferred location for posting and obtaining uncensored information about the conflict, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Rising Concerns About Telegram
On Telegram, practically all of the country’s main media outlets, governmental organisations, and well-known individuals are visible.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, records his daily video speeches on the app, and his armed forces report on events on the front lines and issue alerts of impending air raids. As the opposition in Russia organises a support rally, the Kremlin posts information on President Vladimir Putin’s whereabouts on Telegram.
However, detractors claimed that the software had also developed into a tool for deceit and manipulation. More stringent regulation of Telegram and other social networks is the subject of a bill that was presented to the Ukrainian parliament in March.
Following reports that the chat app was used to aid in the recruitment of the shooters who attacked a music theatre outside of Moscow in March, the Kremlin advised Durov to pay closer attention.
Continuous Upgrade in Telegram
Earlier this month, Telegram announced the introduction of its telegram business. Users who wish to turn their private account into a business account can do that and have access to business features like opening hours, location, quick replies, automated messages, a custom start page, chatbot support, and more.
The messaging app has been creating new levels of group conversation for its users. Last month, it introduced stories for groups and eight more features. According to the report, groups can now publish stories and save them as posts on their profile pages, create unique wallpapers and statuses, and customize their appearance, including the color and logo of the group’s profile cover or link style.
