Telegram has overtaken WhatsApp to become
Russia's most popular messaging tool, the mobile operator Megafon said on
Monday, with Russians flocking to the service as Moscow restricts some digital
services.
WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms Inc is
embroiled in a Russian court case, with prosecutors seeking to label it an
"extremist organisation", and authorities have actively promoted
Telegram as they have banned other foreign platforms such as Facebook,
Instagram and Twitter.
Russia's military operation in Ukraine has
added fuel to a simmering dispute between foreign digital platforms and Moscow.
Megafon, one of Russia's four main telecoms
operators, said its analysis of mobile internet traffic showed that Telegram's
share had jumped to 63% in the first two weeks of March from 48% in the first
two weeks of February.
WhatsApp's share dropped to 32% from 48%,
Megafon said.
The average Telegram user consumed 101 MB
of data a day, compared to 26 MB for WhatsApp.
Founded by Russian Pavel Durov, Telegram
has long been a popular news platform in Russia, with almost all major media,
government entities and public figures operating content channels.
"The popularity of the service has
grown against the backdrop of restrictions on access to other messengers and
social networks," Megafon said in a statement. "The service started
actively growing on Feb. 24."
Russia sent tens of thousands of troops
into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its
southern neighbour’s military capabilities and root out people it called
dangerous nationalists.
Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff
resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort
to force it to withdraw its forces.