<p>Messenger service Telegram, which recently saw a surge of users after the controversy surrounding rival WhatsApp's privacy policy, has become the most downloaded non-gaming app globally.</p>.<p>According to data released by Sensor Tower, Telegram saw over 63 million installs in January 2021, coming to nearly 4 times its download count in the same period last year. The app was in the ninth position of the overall most downloaded apps in December 2020.</p>.<p>India led the download spree with a 24 per cent share of the downloads, followed by Indonesia at 10 per cent.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/moving-to-telegram-from-whatsapp-heres-how-to-import-your-old-chat-history-944683.html" target="_blank">Moving to Telegram from WhatsApp? Here's how to import your old chat history</a></strong></p>.<p>The app also took the lead in Google Play Store's top 10 downloaded apps, moving up from the ninth position in December 2020.</p>.<p>On the App Store's top 10 downloads, Telegram took the fourth position in January, whereas it was not in the top 10 App Store apps in December 2020.</p>.<p>WhatsApp had in January asked its users to accept new terms that will allow it to share more information with its parent company Facebook and roll out advertising and e-commerce.</p>.<p>The result was a severe backlash, leading to the Indian government asking the company to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/indian-govt-asks-whatsapp-to-withdraw-changes-to-privacy-policy-940756.html" target="_blank">withdraw the proposed changes</a> to its privacy policy.</p>.<p>The proposed changes to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, without giving users an option to opt-out, "raise grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens," it wrote in a letter to WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart.</p>.<p><em>(With agency inputs)</em></p>
<p>Messenger service Telegram, which recently saw a surge of users after the controversy surrounding rival WhatsApp's privacy policy, has become the most downloaded non-gaming app globally.</p>.<p>According to data released by Sensor Tower, Telegram saw over 63 million installs in January 2021, coming to nearly 4 times its download count in the same period last year. The app was in the ninth position of the overall most downloaded apps in December 2020.</p>.<p>India led the download spree with a 24 per cent share of the downloads, followed by Indonesia at 10 per cent.</p>.<p><strong>Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/moving-to-telegram-from-whatsapp-heres-how-to-import-your-old-chat-history-944683.html" target="_blank">Moving to Telegram from WhatsApp? Here's how to import your old chat history</a></strong></p>.<p>The app also took the lead in Google Play Store's top 10 downloaded apps, moving up from the ninth position in December 2020.</p>.<p>On the App Store's top 10 downloads, Telegram took the fourth position in January, whereas it was not in the top 10 App Store apps in December 2020.</p>.<p>WhatsApp had in January asked its users to accept new terms that will allow it to share more information with its parent company Facebook and roll out advertising and e-commerce.</p>.<p>The result was a severe backlash, leading to the Indian government asking the company to <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/indian-govt-asks-whatsapp-to-withdraw-changes-to-privacy-policy-940756.html" target="_blank">withdraw the proposed changes</a> to its privacy policy.</p>.<p>The proposed changes to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, without giving users an option to opt-out, "raise grave concerns regarding the implications for the choice and autonomy of Indian citizens," it wrote in a letter to WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart.</p>.<p><em>(With agency inputs)</em></p>