After WhatsApp made changes to its privacy policy regarding
data sharing with Facebook, users of the app started to find alternatives to
avoid having their data shared. One of these alternative apps was Telegram, which
observed a gain of 25 million users within just 72 hours.
The percentage of users that joined Telegram recently includes
38% users from Asia, 27% from Europe, 21% from Latin America and 8% from MENA.
Parel Durov, founder of Telegram, had already shared his monetization plans for the app after it would cross 500 million users, and now with the recent surge in its usage, the company will definitely start working on making the app more beneficial.
According to Durov, premium paid features will be added to
Telegram for big businesses and power users, while the rest of the features
will be free of cost. Moreover, ads will be played on large groups and channels,
while private chats and groups will be ad free. These additions are focused on
the platform’s own innovation and growth, as well as for users’ benefits.
One important thing to note, however, is that WhatsApp just
assured its users about their privacy and attempted to clear their
misconceptions regarding the app’s updated policy, explaining that neither
Facebook nor WhatsApp will be able to access any WhatsApp conversation as it will
remain end to end encrypted. This news may account for users, who have switched
to Telegram, to change their mind, but it just remains an assumption for now.
