Pavel Durov calls WhatsApp ‘low cost copycat,’ launches $50K contest to showcase Telegram’s superiority
Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov has taken direct purpose at Meta-owned WhatsApp, calling it a “low cost copycat” and accusing it of launching smear campaigns towards his platform.
His Might 15 feedback accompanied the announcement of a brand new $50,000 contest to showcase Telegram’s options. The competitors will run till Might 26.
‘Watered-down’
Durov mentioned the competition will showcase Telegram’s long-standing innovation and management in messaging options.
In accordance with 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 function as a trendsetter within the messaging area.
The Telegram founder mentioned:
“It’s time to wake WhatsApp customers up. They’re trapped previously, 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 broadly 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 help his claims, together with channels, editable messages, disappearing chats, superior stickers, and interactive polls. He additional emphasised that the checklist was solely partial and argued that many Telegram improvements stay unavailable on WhatsApp.
Durov urged contestants within the competitors to create quick movies that exhibit Telegram’s technological lead and privacy-first strategy.
He added that the submissions ought to present how Telegram’s options had been unique and arrived years earlier than WhatsApp applied comparable instruments. He acknowledged:
“The purpose is easy: create a viral video displaying how Telegram has at all times been years forward of its low cost copycat — WhatsApp.”
Over time, Telegram has grown quickly, particularly throughout the crypto neighborhood, because of 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 fairly exit markets than introduce surveillance backdoors.
