Telegram is approaching 500 million active users, a figure that plans challenges for the maintenance of the messaging service and that led its founder, Pavel Durov, to share his plans for the future of the service in 2021.
The increase in the application leads to an increase in the cost of servers and traffic. During this time, Durov himself was tasked with covering the expenses with his personal savings, but it is a measure that cannot be extended in time.
“With the current growth, Telegram is on its way to reaching billions of users and requiring adequate funding,” Durov noted in a publication, noting that, “when a technology project reaches this scale, there are generally two options. : start earning money to cover costs or sell the business “.
Durov assured that they will not sell the company “as the founders of WhatsApp did”. But he reported that Telegram will start making revenue next year, in a non-intrusive way that most users “hardly notice.”
This will be done with new features and payment features that will be introduced for companies or for the most active users. Normal users will continue to have access to the usual features, which will be free.
Advertising is included in these plans. Durov made sure that he would not appear in chats or other messaging functions, although he would appear on channels. For this, Telegram will have its own advertising platform, to ensure that advertising respects privacy without disturbing users, while helping to cover costs.