Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has claimed that WhatsApp’s features have been copied from messaging platform Telegram. He has also announced a competition to create a documentary video highlighting the issue of WhatsApp copying Telegram’s features. Earlier, Durov had also sarcastically called WhatsApp a cheap version of Telegram. News: India Today.
According to Pavel Durov’s announcement, to participate in this competition, one has to create a video like TikTok. There, one has to highlight how WhatsApp has copied Telegram’s features. The video has to be submitted to a specific Telegram channel.
The Telegram founder said, ‘Users can use any messaging app, but they should stay away from WhatsApp.’ Earlier, Telegram had claimed in various reports that WhatsApp was spreading propaganda against the app. Meanwhile, Durov said that many of the features that WhatsApp users enjoy were first introduced on Telegram. He complained, “Telegram has maintained its innovative spirit as an independent platform. On the other hand, WhatsApp is only busy imitating.” Incidentally, Telegram currently has more than 1 billion monthly active users. It is now the world’s second largest messaging app. Telegram earned $547 million in 2024. According to the latest data from last year, Telegram is eighth in the list of social media with the highest monthly time spent by users, with TikTok, YouTube and Facebook in the top three respectively. TikTok users spend 34 hours a month on the platform. In addition, about 45 percent of India’s population regularly uses Telegram. Telegram has also surpassed WhatsApp to become the most popular messaging platform in Russia. WhatsApp has not responded to this issue.
