Pavel Durov, the enigmatic founder of Telegram, has announced that Telegram Premium subscribers have surpassed 5 million users, a milestone that was reached in record time. Although Durov is still short of his earlier goal of 20 million to cover the premium costs, the messenger has seen an amazing jump from 4 million to 5 million premium subscribers in just one month, a stark contrast to the year and a half it took to reach the original 4 million.
Telegram Premium, which launched in mid-June 2022, has become the fastest-growing paid subscription in messenger history, doubling the number of subscribers in five months and quadrupling in the past 12 months, according to Durov. This rapid growth has exceeded expectations and solidified Telegram’s status as a formidable player in the messaging app competition.
Recently, a Telegram spokesperson said the company has no assets in Russia and expressed uncertainty about whether Russia would overturn fines previously imposed by local courts. The move, also seen against Google, YouTube, Meta and TikTok, is puzzling as these tech giants have mysteriously disappeared from the state register of debtors in Russia after updating records earlier this year.
Despite these complications, Telegram’s popularity in Ukraine has skyrocketed, becoming a crucial means of communication and a major platform for news dissemination, especially since the outbreak of war. The spread of propaganda and hostility, especially from Russian users, has raised concerns about Telegram’s security and discussions about its regulation.
Critics have emphasized the lack of end-to-end encryption in regular chats, drawing attention to potential risks associated with the platform. Although Durov, a Russian-born Emirati programmer, distances himself from his Russian identity, his role as the creator of the Russian-banned social network VKontakte adds to the complexity of his persona.
While the debate over Telegram’s security is intensifying, the exponential growth of its premium subscriptions reflects the presence of users willing to invest in advanced features, marking an important chapter in the evolution of messaging apps and digital communication platforms.