The app, that is 'neutral' and 'free from geopolitics' according to its founder, looks fairly similar to other social media platforms - but is very popular in Russia and former Soviet Union countries.
Telegram, one of the world's biggest social media networks, 'will probably hit one billion active monthly users within the year', according to the app's billionaire founder Pavel Durov. 'Telegram is spreading like forest fire,' said Mr Durov to US commentator Tucker Carlson on Tuesday. So what is Telegram and why is it suddenly so popular? At its core, Telegram looks quite familiar.
The app was so widely used during the ban, government departments such as the Russian Foreign Ministry and national coronavirus taskforce had official channels on Telegram. Read more from Sky News:Black hole found 'lurking undetected' close to EarthSchools won't use Meta Quest VR unless teachers have 'complete control' After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, users flocked to Telegram for its unfiltered and sometimes misleading content about the war.
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