Encrypted messaging service Telegram announced earlier today that it has reached 100 million monthly active users and that about 350,000 new users sign up into the platform every day.
Launched in 2013, Telegram ecstatically announced in a blog post that it delivers 15 billion messages every single day sent from 200 countries.
Two and a half years ago we launched Telegram. Then you told your friends and co-workers about it. And they told their friends and co-workers. And we started growing. Now Telegram has more than 100,000,000 monthly active users. 350,000 new users sign up each day. We’re delivering 15 billion messages daily.
stated Telegram in a blog post.
While delivering his keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram made the announcement public earlier today.
We’re extremely proud and happy that all this growth is 100 percent organic — we had zero marketing budget. This is a global phenomenon, a global product.
stated Pavel Durov during his keynote speech.
The messaging service though far behind the one billion users tally boasted by WhatsApp has witnessed a steady increase in its user base in the last one year. Since May, 2015, Telegram has managed to acquire over 38 million active users. Telegram, though popular to a slight extent, has to match up to the goliaths such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, which recently crossed 800 million monthly active users.
Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai founded Telegram in 2013 with aim to make personal data more secure. Telegram’s servers are safeguarded by the MTProto protocol, making all the messages encrypted. It also has an added security feature that enables the user to permanently delete messages and even allows a self-destruct feature. Pavel has been vocal about his fight for privacy of user data and openly voiced his support for Edward Snowdon by offering him a position at Telegram after the NSA leaks.
With all its benefits, the service has invariably run into troubled waters with critics questioning its benefits by pointing out that the service makes it easier for terrorists to exchange sensitive information. The founders have come out against such misuse by taking measures to so that the service does not turn into a tool for anti-national elements.
The service has recently added new features such as recording and listening of voice messages and improved privacy controls.
