Telegram gains more users than WhatsApp?

The Telegram messaging app, one of the most popular social media platforms in Ukraine and Russia, will likely cross 1 billion active monthly users within a year, its founder said in remarks.

In a rare interview, Pavel Durov told US journalist Tucker Carlson that the Dubai-based free messaging application — that allows users to send and receive messages, calls and other files — is spreading like a "forest fire".

"We'll probably cross 1 billion monthly active users within a year now," Durov, who fully owns Telegram, told Carlson in the interview on X.

The goal of the app, which now has 900 million active users, is to remain a "neutral platform" and not a "player in geopolitics," Durov added.

The Russia-born entrepreneur said he had fled the country in 2014 citing government interference in his company.

With over 2 billion monthly active users, WhatsApp, a major competitor of Telegram, is owned by Meta Platforms. 

When Telegram became profitable, the Financial Times predicted in March that the business would probably pursue a US listing.

Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Telegram has developed into a vital tool for governments as well as a preferred location for posting and gaining access to uncensored news about the conflict.

In both Russia and Ukraine, practically all of the main media, governmental organisations, and public figures run Telegram content channels.