These new users came from across the globe -- 38 per cent from Asia, 27 per cent from Europe, 21 per cent from Latin America and eight per cent from MENA (Middle East and North Africa).

 

"This is a significant increase compared to last year, when 1.5 million new users signed up every day. We've had surges of downloads before, throughout our 7-year history of protecting user privacy. But this time is different," Durov said in a blog post on Tuesday.

 

"People no longer want to exchange their privacy for free services. They no longer want to be held hostage by tech monopolies that seem to think they can get away with anything as long as their apps have a critical mass of users".

 

According to data from App analytics firm Sensor Tower, Signal led the pack with over 23 lakh new downloads between January 6 and January 10 in India, while Telegram clocked more than 16 lakh new downloads in the same period.

 

Meanwhile, WhatsApp's downloads fell by 35 per cent over the January 6 to January 10 time-period, with 13 lakh new downloads.

 

Between January 1 to January 5, WhatsApp had clocked 20 lakh new downloads.

 

According to Durov, with half a billion active users and accelerating growth, Telegram has become the largest refuge for those seeking a communication platform committed to privacy and security.

 

"We take this responsibility very seriously. We won't let you down".

 

The surge came as users questioned the upcoming WhatsApp Terms of Service and privacy policy, triggering a global debate.