The encrypted messaging app Telegram has moved ahead of Facebook’s messenger feature to become the second most popular messaging app in the world.
Telegram still trails WhatsApp, a company that is now owned by Facebook, but is rapidly gaining market share for offering a pro-privacy alternative that respects free speech far more than its Big Tech rivals.
As a result, Meta, the parent company for Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, is stealing features from Telegram and implementing them on their platforms in an attempt to stay relevant in the evolving social media landscape.
Big League Politics has reported on the rapid growth of the Telegram app as users grow tired of the restrictive nature of the Big Tech monopolies:
“The encrypted communications app Telegram has surpassed 500 million active users, the platform announced on Tuesday.
“In the first week of January, Telegram surpassed 500 million monthly active users. After that it kept growing: 25 million new users joined Telegram in the last 72 hours alone. These new users came from across the globe – 38% from Asia, 27% from Europe, 21% from Latin America and 8% from MENA,” wrote Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram.
“This is a significant increase compared to last year, when 1.5M new users signed up every day. We’ve had surges of downloads before, throughout our 7-year history of protecting user privacy. But this time is different,” he added.
Durov noted that the public is getting sick of Big Tech monopoly platforms and their hostility against free speech and privacy rights. This is fueling the overwhelming growth of Telegram.
“People no longer want to exchange their privacy for free services. They no longer want to be held hostage by tech monopolies that seem to think they can get away with anything as long as their apps have a critical mass of users,” Durov wrote.
“With half a billion active users and accelerating growth, Telegram has become the largest refuge for those seeking a communication platform committed to privacy and security. We take this responsibility very seriously. We won’t let you down,” he continued.
“Those of you who have used Telegram for the last several years know we’ve been consistent both when it comes to defending private data and to improving our apps,” Durov added.”
The market is speaking and it is giving the middle finger to Facebook and other tech giants who refuse to respect the rights of its users. This divestment must continue and be encouraged.