Messaging app Telegram to launch paid subscription plan

(Reuters) – Messaging app Telegram will launch a paid subscription plan for its users this month, founder Pavel Durov said on Friday.

Users who will opt for Telegram Premium will get a higher limit for chats, media and file uploads, Durov said in a blogpost.

“The only way to let our most demanding fans get more while keeping our existing features free is to make those raised limits a paid option,” he said.

The app, along with messaging tool Signal, have seen an increase in users following privacy concerns with larger rival WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms Inc. Telegram currently has 500 million monthly active users and is one of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world, according to its website.

Durov said the move to offer a paid subscription was to ensure that Telegram remains funded primarily by its users and not advertisers.

(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)