According to Odaily, Telegram has achieved a milestone of 10 million paid users, as disclosed by Du Rove's Telegram channel. In response to user feedback and security concerns, Telegram has removed the 'People Nearby' feature, which was utilized by less than 0.1% of its user base and had issues with bots and scammers. To replace it, Telegram will introduce a 'Nearby Merchants' feature, showcasing legitimate and verified businesses. These businesses will be able to seamlessly display product catalogs and accept payments directly through the platform.
Additionally, Telegram has disabled the ability to upload new media to the independent blogging tool Telegraph. This decision comes after the tool was reportedly misused by anonymous actors. The changes aim to enhance user experience and security on the platform.