Telegram draws 25 million ‘new’ users in just three days after WhatsApp privacy policy change

As WhatsApp rolled out changes to its privacy terms, users diverted their interest to the encrypted messaging app Telegram. As a result, in just three days, Telegram registered around 25 million new users, according to its founder Pavel Durov. Durov said Telegram surpassed 500 million monthly active users mark in the first week of January but, more remarkably, 25 million new users joined the app in the last 72 hours alone following WhatsApp’s controversial privacy policy change.

“People no longer want to exchange their privacy for free services,” Durov wrote on his Telegram channel. Durov, however, did not take any names.

People have seemed to be shifting to Telegram as WhatsApp has renewed its privacy policy for all of its over two billion users. The policy is under controversy as the company will now allow more data to be shared with its parent company Facebook. The new terms are to be accepted by people living outside Europe, and all those who don’t, will be cut off from using the messaging app after February 8 this year.

Durov highlighted that Telegram has recently turned out to be the “largest refuge” for users who desire a private and secure communications platform. He also assured Telegram’s new users that the company will take this responsibility (maintaining secure and private communications) very seriously and won’t let its users down.

It is to note that Telegram is being used majorly for private communications and sharing information and thus, is a popular social media platform in many countries including Russia and Iran. The app has also faced backlash and was banned in Russia as the company refused to share any private information with the authorities or handover encryption keys for that matter. However, after two years of attempting to block the app, Russia announced it would lift the ban on Telegram last year.

Brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov founded Telegram in 2013.