Telegram is approaching 500 million active users, a figure that plans challenges for the maintenance of the messaging service and that has led its founder, Pavel Durov, to share his plans for the future of the service from 2021.
The growth experienced by the application leads to an increase in server spending and traffic. During this time, Durov himself has been responsible for covering the expenses with his personal savings, but this is a measure that cannot be extended in time.
“With its current growth, Telegram is on track to reach billions of users and require adequate funding,” Durov noted in a post, stating that, “when a technology project reaches this scale, generally there are two options: start making money to cover costs or sell the company. “
Durov has assured that they will not sell the company “as the founders of WhatsApp did.” But he has reported that Telegram will start earning revenue next year, in a non-intrusive way that most users will “barely notice”.
This will be done through new features and payment features that will be introduced by businesses or more active users. Normal users will still have access to the usual features, which will be free.
These plans include advertising. Durov has assured that he will not appear in chats or other messaging features, although he will in the channels. To do this, Telegram will have its own advertising platform, to ensure that it is advertising respects privacy without disturbing users, while helping to cover costs.