WhatsApp and Instagram, two flagship products of Meta, are experimenting with a new “Channels” feature to compete with Telegram, according to 9 to 5 Mac.
Telegram, the private messaging app that originated in Russia, pioneered the Channels feature. While users need a phone number to sign up for Telegram, they can remain anonymous with a username. Channels function as a broadcast list from a specific individual or organization rather than an aggregated feed from various users.
Telegram has had a surge of popularity since the Ukraine War, with many exclusive news being shared by both Russians and Ukrainians on channels. Meta is attempting to emulate a successful practice, as it has by attempting to capitalize on Twitter’s dueling success and shortcomings by rolling out a text-based platform as well.
Meta’s focus on WhatsApp and Telegram, as well as continued attention to its virtual reality “Metaverse” service, shows that Facebook is no longer the flagship product of the company. Changing the name from Facebook Inc. to Meta Platforms Inc. in 2022 only further proved that.
Social media has moved away from the Facebook model of personal friends with public interactions for a whole network to see. Instead, users have preferred focusing on personalities they follow, whether on Twitter, Substack, or Telegram, or joining smaller communities like Discord.
