Durov, 36, said on his Telegram channel that the app had
over 500 million monthly active users in the first weeks of January and
"25 million new users joined Telegram in the last 72 hours alone".
The surge in downloads comes after WhatsApp, which boasts over
two billion users, introduced controversial changes to its privacy conditions
that will allow it to share more data with its parent company Facebook.
"People no longer want to exchange their privacy for
free services," Durov said without directly referring to the rival app.
WhatsApps's new terms sparked criticism as users outside
Europe who do not accept the new conditions before February 8 will be cut off
from the messaging app.
Telegram is a popular social media platform in a number of
countries, particularly in the former Soviet Union and Iran, and is used both
for private communications and sharing information and news.
Durov on Tuesday said Telegram has become the "largest
refuge" for those seeking a private and secure communications platform and
assured new users that his team "takes this responsibility very
seriously".
Telegram was founded in 2013 by brothers Pavel and Nikolai
Durov, who also founded Russia's social media network VKontakte.
Telegram refuses to cooperate with authorities and handover
encryption keys, which resulted in its ban in several countries, including
Russia.
Last year, Russia announced that it will lift its ban on the
messenger app after more than two years of unsuccessful attempts to block it.