Russian encrypted instant messaging service Telegram which has 100 million users is getting more popular
Telegram, the encrypted messaging application has reached a number of more than 100 million active users monthly. It is an increase of 60 percent for the past nine months.
Telegram founder, Pavel Durov has revealed at Mobile World Congress that in addition to the growth of users number, he has found out that the application records 350 000 newly registered users from 200 countries who join the service every day and more than 15 billion messages are sent on the application on a daily basis.
“We are very proud and happy that all this growth is 100 percent natural – our marketing budget was zero,”- said Durov. “This is a global phenomenon and a global product.”
Telegram’s popularity stable growth is partially connected with Facebook acquisition of WhatsApp application which is the biggest competitor of Telegram. In fact, after 2014 year when Facebook bought WhatsApp application, the popularity of Telegram has grown sharply mainly due to the fact that many people do not want to use Facebook’s services for correspondence.
Telegram application was launched in 2013 year by Russian programmers Nikolay Durov and his brother Pavel who founded Vkontakte, a Russian version of Facebook. Pavel Durov has left Russia due to open opposition to Putin’s regime and the refusal to provide intelligence agencies with possibility to inspect the personal data of the users in the social network.
The messaging service is popular mainly due to its security settings, and the fact that benefits MTProto protocol, client-to-client encryption which makes completely impossible a third party to intercept messages. In addition, for higher security the messages can be optionally self-destructed.
Regarding the level of security and privacy of internet users the brothers Durov are still in the first place as they have proven it by supporting Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook in his dispute with the FBI related to a case when a terrorist used a smartphone in attack in San Bernardino.
After Tim Cook’s letter that explained the refusal of the request of US authorities to provide access to the operating system of the iPhone, Apple was supported by Facebook and Twitter. The legendary programmer John McAfee has offered to unlock the specific phone, but the brothers Durov have supported Tim Cook.
“We side with Tim Cook,” said Durov. „Society in each country has to decide whether they want to make this trade-off, between privacy and what is perceived as high security and lower risk of terrorism.”
