Telegram surpasses WhatsApp, becomes top messenger service in Russia

Russia's military operation in Ukraine has fueled a raging feud between global digital platforms and Moscow.

New Delhi, First Published Mar 22, 2022, 12:06 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 22, 2022, 12:06 PM IST

Telegram, the messaging application, has surpassed WhatsApp in Russia, the mobile operator Megafon stated on Monday, with Russians flocking to the service as Moscow limits other digital services.

Meta owns WhatsApp is mired in a Russian court case, with prosecutors aiming to name it an "extremist organisation". Officials have promoted Telegram, as they barred other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Russia's military operation in Ukraine has fueled a raging feud between global digital platforms and Moscow.

Megafon, Russia's four leading telecoms operators, stated that its analysis of mobile internet traffic showed that Telegram's share had jumped to 63 per cent in the first two weeks of March, up from 48 per cent in the first two weeks of February.

Megafon stated that WhatsApp's share slipped to 32 per cent from 48 per cent. The primary user of Telegram consumed 101 MB of data a day, in contrast to 26 MB of WhatsApp.

Telegram, founded by Russian Pavel Durov, has long been a popular news platform in Russia, with practically all major media, government agencies, and public figures having content channels.

Megafon, in its statement, said that the popularity of the service has grown against the backdrop of restrictions on access to other messengers and social networks. The service started actively growing on February 24.

On February 24, Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. It named it a special operation to degrade its southern neighbour's military capabilities and root out people it dubbed dangerous nationalists.

Ukrainian troopers have put up an intense fight, and the West has slapped harsh sanctions on Russia to force it to withdraw its forces.

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