Telegram to launch Sponsored Messages feature soon

Telegram has revealed the arrival of Sponsored Messages, a feature that allows anyone to promote their channel and bots on the network. Promoted messages will display in Telegram public channels with over a thousand users.

Although, messages must be restricted to a maximum of 160 characters. Telegram claims it will share advertising money with administrators of channels where promoted messages are broadcast after they are launched and allow it to cover necessary infrastructure costs. "The Telegram is a communication system that allows people to communicate," according to Pavel Durov, the company's founder and CEO.

Sponsored messages will not be shown on your private messages, or groups. There will also be no advertisements in Telegram's message. Sponsored messages will only surface depending on the topic of the mainstream networks in which they are broadcast, according to the company.

The Telegram CEO has further stated that "this new feature would not jeopardize user privacy, and no user data will be gathered or processed in order to show adverts". Every Telegram user that watches a specific channel receives an identical sponsored message. Sponsored messages can be viewed on mainstream channels with over 1,000 users.

However, this feature is still very much in the early stages of development and is not accessible to everyone. Telegram wants to share income with admins of channels where sponsored messages are broadcast after it officially launches. Telegram, according to Pavel Durov, is far more ad-free unlike its major competitor WhatsApp".