• Telegram founder Pavel Durov anticipates reaching 1 billion monthly active users within a year, citing the app’s rapid growth and popularity.
  • Telegram aims to maintain neutrality in geopolitics and serve as a platform for unfiltered information sharing, amidst its role as a key tool during the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
  • Despite its widespread use by major media and public figures, Telegram faces criticism for its potential role in spreading misinformation and manipulation, prompting calls for stricter regulation.

According to comments made by the inventor of Telegram, one of the most well-liked social media sites in Russia and Ukraine, the messaging app will probably surpass one billion monthly active users in less than a year (Apr 17).

Telegram’s meteoric rise and founder’s vision

In a rare interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Pavel Durov, the founder of the Dubai-based messaging app Telegram, likened the app’s growth to a “forest fire,” anticipating a milestone of 1 billion monthly active users within a year. Durov, who maintains full ownership of Telegram, emphasised the platform’s commitment to neutrality in geopolitics, aiming to steer clear of political entanglements. Having fled Russia in 2014 due to government interference, the Russia-born entrepreneur has positioned Telegram as a neutral and independent digital space.

With 900 million active users currently, Telegram stands as a formidable competitor to Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp, which boasts over 2 billion monthly active users. Reports suggest that Telegram may pursue a US listing once profitability is achieved, as indicated by the Financial Times.

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Telegram’s role amidst geopolitical turmoil and controversy

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has emerged as a crucial tool for governments and individuals to share unfiltered information about the conflict. Notably, prominent figures such as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin utilise Telegram to communicate with the public, while media outlets and public figures in both countries maintain active channels on the platform.

Despite its utility, critics have raised concerns about Telegram’s role in spreading misinformation and manipulation. In response, a bill proposing stricter regulation of Telegram and other social networks was submitted to the Ukrainian parliament in March. The Kremlin has also urged Durov to exercise greater vigilance, following allegations that Telegram was used to recruit individuals involved in an attack near Moscow.