RUSSIA: The Telegram messaging app has registered 25 million new users in the past 72 hours, after WhatsApp announcing a change to its privacy terms by sharing data with parent company Facebook.
Russia-born founder Pavel Durov announced via messaging app on Tuesday, Telegram Chief Durov, 36, said on his Telegram channel that the app had over 500 million monthly active users in the first weeks of January and “25 million new users joined Telegram in the last 72 hours alone”.
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The surge in Telegram messaging app downloads comes after WhatsApp introduced controversial changes to its privacy conditions that will allow it to share more data with its parent company Facebook
Over two billion people are using whatsapp across the globe and most of them are choosing telegram and signal messaging app as their primary option from now onwards.
“People no longer want to exchange their privacy for free services,” Durov said without directly referring to the rival app. WhatsApps’s new terms sparked criticism as users outside Europe who do not accept the new conditions before February 8 will be cut off from the messaging app.
Telegram is a popular social media platform in a number of countries, particularly in the former Soviet Union and Iran, and is used both for private communications and sharing information and news.
The majority of whatsapp users are registering to Telegram after the latest privacy update.
Whatsapp officials tried to explain people about their latest update but people know that their data is being shared with parent company
Read More: WhatsApp offers clarification on updated privacy policy
Unfortunately, Telegram’s official website is still blocked by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) although the ban on telegram messaging app was lifted the telegram app was unblocked two years ago.
Telegram was founded in 2013 by brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, who also founded Russia’s social media network VKontakte.
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