Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov has taken direct intention at Meta-owned WhatsApp, calling it a “low cost copycat” and accusing it of launching smear campaigns in opposition to his platform.
His Could 15 feedback accompanied the announcement of a brand new $50,000 contest to showcase Telegram’s options. The competitors will run till Could 26.
‘Watered-down’
Durov mentioned the competition will showcase Telegram’s long-standing innovation and management in messaging options.
Based on Durov, WhatsApp customers are caught with delayed variations of options that Telegram had already launched years in the past. He asserted that the competition would assist inform customers and shift public consideration to Telegram’s position as a trendsetter within the messaging area.
The Telegram founder mentioned:
“It’s time to wake WhatsApp customers up. They’re trapped up to now, utilizing late, watered-down variations of improvements Telegram pioneered lengthy earlier than.”
The transfer marks a public escalation within the long-standing rivalry between the 2 messaging giants.
Whereas WhatsApp boasts over 3 billion customers worldwide and is extensively adopted for its end-to-end encryption and up to date privateness upgrades, Durov insists that Telegram stays the true innovator.
Superior innovation
Durov listed over 30 options Telegram launched earlier than WhatsApp to assist his claims, together with channels, editable messages, disappearing chats, superior stickers, and interactive polls. He additional emphasised that the listing was solely partial and argued that many Telegram improvements stay unavailable on WhatsApp.
Durov urged contestants within the competitors to create brief movies that show Telegram’s technological lead and privacy-first strategy.
He added that the submissions ought to present how Telegram’s options have been authentic and arrived years earlier than WhatsApp carried out comparable instruments. He said:
“The aim is straightforward: create a viral video exhibiting how Telegram has all the time been years forward of its low cost copycat — WhatsApp.”
Over time, Telegram has grown quickly, particularly inside the crypto neighborhood, due to its open platform and dedication to safety.
Notably, Durov has constantly reiterated Telegram’s refusal to compromise encryption requirements, even stating that the corporate would quite exit markets than introduce surveillance backdoors.