The popularity of Telegram has soared in the past few years for both good and bad reasons. While users got to enjoy quirky stickers, the lack of security and forming of multiple groups that shared pornographic content worried users as well.
However, it seems like starting from 2021, users will be required to pay for some of its services. The app is reaching almost 500 million users and its founder, Parel Durov, said that they need to generate revenue in order to keep their business afloat.
According to Tech Crunch, most of the expenses to cover Telegram’s operating costs were funded from his pocket and now needed a new method of earning an income.
“We do not plan to sell the company but our company needs at least a few hundred millions per year to survive.”
The service will introduce its own ad platform for public one-to-many channels. Their ad platform will be user-friendly, respect the privacy of its users while also allowing them to cover the costs of server and traffic.
When large public one-to-many channels via the Ad Platform are monetized, the owner of these channels will receive free traffic in proportion to their size. Another way Telegram plans to monetize its service, is through premium stickers with “additional expressive features”.
“The artists who make stickers of this new type will also get a part of the profit. We want millions of Telegram-based creators and small businesses to thrive, enriching the experience of all our users.”
Durov reassured that all existing features will remain free and insisted that they will not sell their company like the founders of WhatsApp. In fact, he said their monetization will be done non-intrusively and most users will hardly notice any change.
What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments section!
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