Telegram is considered one of the top alternatives to WhatsApp, and this year has generated a massive growth, with close to 500 million active users now connected to the platform.
Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, explained in a blog post that while the growth is good news for the future of the service, it’s also making it harder to maintain the platform completely free, especially because more users equals more resources to keep everything online.
The good news is Telegram won’t be sold.
“We are not going to sell the company like the founders of Whatsapp. The world needs Telegram to stay independent as a place where users are respected and high-quality service is ensured. Telegram must continue to serve the world as an example of a tech company that strives for perfection and integrity. And, as the sad examples of our predecessors show, that is impossible if you become part of a corporation,” Durov explained.
Hello, ads!
The bad news is Telegram is getting ads, though it’s not really as bad as it sounds. And it’s all because Durov wants the implementation to be non-intrusive.
“All the features that are currently free will stay free. We will add some new features for business teams or power users. Some of these features will require more resources and will be paid for by these premium users. Regular users will be able to keep enjoying Telegram – for free, forever,” he said.
Premium features available at an extra cost will be introduced, and ads, which should make their way to Telegram next year, would be integrated into those screens that do not affect messaging.
“We think that displaying ads in private 1-to-1 chats or group chats is a bad idea. Communication between people should be free of advertising of any sort,” Durov says.
More information on how ads would make their way to Telegram should be shared next year when we’re getting closer to this big change.