More than 25 million new users downloaded Telegram in the last few days. Users also describe Signal as the most private of the applications, although it still needs to improve many elements.
Telegram gained 500 million active users that joined the platform during the first week of January, with 25 million new users that summed up to that number in 72 hours.
At least 200 million users downloaded the app in the past month, reported Telegram founder Pavel Durov. The executive said that this is a new record for the app to add to its stats, a record that beats its previous one of 1.5 million downloads a day.
One of the regions with more downloads in recent days is Asia, with 38 % or a bit more, of new users. Latin America is the second in line, with a considerable contribution of more than 20% of new users adhering to the platform.
Pavel Durov published a statement about this data on his Telegram channel; he also talks about the increasing relevance and value of privacy for users.
The executive did not directly point to WhatsApp, but it is more than clear that the increase in the volume of new Telegram and other platforms like Signal users is a negative reaction to the new privacy policies of the main messaging platform. Pavel Durov also assured that Telegram is now “the biggest refuge for those who seek to communicate more privately and safely”.
WhatsApp: The Largest and Most Important App but also an App that Shows Weakness Regarding Privacy.
The change in the terms and conditions of WhatsApp took place on January 4 and will come to take effect on February 8. These new terms and policies seem to make it mandatory to deliver delicate user information and shared data between users to Facebook; this company owns the rights of Whatsapp in 2014.
With these terms and policies at work, WhatsApp receives an allowance to share other data in addition to what it already shares with its parent company, such as phone number, IP address, history of transactions and payments in the application, interactions with businesses and services, among others.
It is important to take into consideration that the data could also filter through other associated apps like Instagram and Messenger; these applications are in hands of Facebook too.
In its defense, WhatsApp made a series of statements on Monday through Twitter, rejecting the claims of users accusing the app of violating the privacy of users by seeing the messages or listen to the calls, as well as assuring that Whatsapp is not currently able to see any shared locations or deliver any contact list to Facebook. Users seemed to be very upset about the new set of terms and policies and shown very skeptical and rejective reactions to the statements, alleging they already feel that it is time to move on to a platform with more solid privacy policies.
By: Jenson Nuñez
