Over the past 10 years, Telegram has emerged as one of the top messaging apps in the world. Let's remember your journey and understand your exponential growth.
Brief History of Telegram:
Telegram is a cloud-based instant messaging service similar to other popular apps like WhatsApp, Viber and WeChat. It was founded by Nikolai and Pavel Durov, two brothers of Russian origin.
Telegram has always been known for its pro-privacy stance and resistance to government demands. This caused it to be banned or temporarily blocked in some countries. Despite these challenges, it continued to grow and become one of the most popular messaging apps in the world.
The platform stands out for its unique features, such as public channels, the ability to send large files and personalized “Stickers”. At the same time, it has faced criticism and concerns related to the spread of misinformation and extremist content on its platform, given its non-interference stance.
Evolution of Telegram Over the Years:
- 2006: Pavel Durov founds the social network VKontakte (VK), which quickly becomes the Russian equivalent of Facebook and one of the most popular websites in Russia.
- 2013: The Durov brothers launch Telegram in August. They describe it as a means of communication that Russian authorities cannot access and highlight its focus on speed and security, including strong end-to-end encryption.
- 2014: Pavel Durov leaves VK after disputes with shareholders and allegations of pressure from the Russian government. It focuses on Telegram and promotes the idea of freedom of expression and privacy.
- Until 2020: Telegram is growing in popularity, especially in regions where people are concerned about privacy or where they censor or ban other communication platforms. The app also introduces various features over time, such as secret chats, groups, bots, channels and voice calls.
- 2020: Telegram reaches 400 million monthly active users.
- 2021: In January, after the controversy over changes to WhatsApp's privacy policy, many users began to migrate to Telegram and Signal. Telegram reports a significant increase in new signups during this period.
Distinctive Features of Telegram:
Unlike many messengers, Telegram offers:
- Secret Chats: Conversations that self-destruct, ensuring maximum privacy.
- These messages are ideal for sensitive conversations and the user can set a time for them to be automatically deleted.
- Bots and Channels: Platforms for automation and dissemination of information.
- Bots allow you to create custom roles, while channels facilitate mass communication.
Security and Privacy on Telegram:
From the beginning, security has always been a priority for Telegram:
Firstly, end-to-end encryption: It ensures that only the sender and recipient can read the message. Subsequently, this encryption protects conversations against interception, further strengthening their security. Additionally, hacker protection offers multiple layers of defense to prevent attacks. Finally, with measures ranging from two-step verifications to blocking suspicious attempts, Telegram demonstrates a constant commitment to keeping its users protected.
The Future of Telegram:
Even so, Telegram continues to innovate, presenting promises of more features and greater integration and, of course, always putting user safety first.
Over these 10 years, Telegram has been characterized by its constant innovations and an expanding user base. This journey, despite being fraught with challenges, demonstrates that, through a continued focus on privacy and innovation, it is viable to establish a messenger that millions of people trust.
