If you’re looking for a new messaging app, Telegram might be your answer. It’s WhatsApp’s new rival, but who owns it?
In a message to its users on January 14, 2021, Telegram announced that it has surpassed 500 million active users and millions of more are joining the app.
“Telegram surpassed 500 million active users.
In the past 72 hours alone, more than 25 million new users from around the world joined Telegram.
Thank you! These milestones were made possible by users like you who invite their friends to Telegram.
If you have contacts that joined in the last few days, you can welcome them using one of Telegram’s unique features, such as an animated sticker or a video message.”
Over the past few days, millions of users have been fleeing WhatsApp and joining alternative messaging apps like Telegram.
This comes after WhatsApp told its two billion users they must let the app share their data with Facebook, the BBC reports.
If users refuse to accept these new privacy terms by February 8th, they will lose their account. However, the new rules do not apply to WhatsApp users in the UK and Europe.
Many users are not willing to share their data, which has resulted in millions of people ditching WhatsApp and turning to other messaging apps instead.
One of the most popular alternatives has been Telegram.
WHAT IS TELEGRAM?
Telegram is a messaging app similar to WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
It’s free to download on both iOS and Android devices and contains a number of familiar features including messaging, calling, voice messaging and stickers.
It was founded back in 2013 but is suddenly receiving a lot of new users in 2021.
WHO OWNS TELEGRAM?
Telegram was founded by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai in Russia, however, they have now moved their headquarters to Berlin, Germany.
Pavel Durov, 33, is a Russian billionaire who is known as ‘Russia’s Zuckerberg’ after he launched the country’s biggest social media site Vkontakte, better known as VK. However, he was later dismissed from being the company’s CEO.
It seems that Telegram is going to become a Giant instant messaging app soon. But a question still arises?
Will Telegram also sell the data of its users in the near future?