Pavel Durov’s official Telegram channel announced a massive step in the fight against username squatting. Many usernames previously occupied by cybersquatters from Iran will be removed and will soon be returned to public use. The most expensive of them will be drawn at the auction.
Henceforth, the issuance of names will have a geographical limit on the number. The original post reads:
“Until recently, 70% of all Telegram usernames were reserved in inactive channels by cybersquatters from Iran. This created a graveyard of dead usernames that cluttered search results and made it difficult for millions of Telegram users to choose appropriate public addresses for their accounts, groups, and channels.
Users who wanted these names were often not answered or were deceived.
Fortunately, this situation has begun to change. In mid-August, we removed all public Telegram addresses associated with channels that were empty or inactive for the past year. We will gradually return 99% of these addresses to the public domain, this time with algorithmic and geographic restrictions so that more users, not just a select few, can benefit.
As for the most expensive short usernames, the most efficient and fair way to allocate them seems to be through the auction, which I wrote about earlier . Thus, those who receive these attractive links will be motivated to benefit our community through original content posted on recognizable addresses.
I have no doubt that those who have been hoarding Telegram names are disappointed, but this change will benefit the vast majority of our users. I look forward to seeing millions of great Telegram addresses be revived and finally serve our community.”
Pavel Durov,
founder of Telegram
Oddly enough, just last week Durov announced the launch of auctions for the sale of Telegram nicknames based on the TON blockchain.
Durov announced the launch of auctions for the sale of Telegram nicknames based on the TON blockchain
Source: Durov’s Channel
