Telegram to incorporate advertising in large "one-to-many" channels, premium features

Telegram is looking to incorporate advertisements in its channels used for one person to distribute news, deals, and information to anyone that follows.

Founder Pavel Durov says that all chat-based functions will not have advertising incorporated. All currently available features will remain free, though in order to incorporate sustainable monetization without, as Durov puts it, "...sell[ing] the company like the founders of WhatsApp," new features aimed towards business and power users will require payment to a premium service.

The goal of this monetization is to grow Telegram while also maintaining its independence, though this will not impact private 1-on-1 and group chats. "Communication between people should be free of advertising of any sort," said Durov.

Ads in "one to many" channels with millions of subscribers will begin rolling out in 2021, with no timetable announced for premium-based features.

Further coverage: Telegram Engadget gHacks Tech News