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Facebook To Buy WhatsApp

Posted by Soulskill on from the hitting-the-startup-lottery dept.

Facebook has announced an agreement to buy WhatsApp, the mobile messaging platform used by over 450 million people. The deal involves $4 billion in cash and an additional $12 billion in Facebook stock. They say WhatsApp will remain independent; its headquarters won't move, and it will continue to exist separately from Facebook's Messenger app. Mark Zuckerberg indicated they will focus on growth: 'Over the next few years, we're going to work hard to help WhatsApp grow and connect the whole world. We also expect that WhatsApp will add to our efforts for Internet.org, our partnership to make basic internet services affordable for everyone.' On WhatsApp's blog, they say, "Here’s what will change for you, our users: nothing. WhatsApp will remain autonomous and operate independently."

6 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. Oh Good by The+Cat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We also expect that WhatsApp will add to our efforts for Internet.org, our partnership to make basic internet services affordable for everyone

    Yet another attempt to control the Internet.

    They're coming. And they will not stop until they own it or destroy it.

    The Internet is humanity's last chance, boys and girls. We lose it and we're looking at 1000 years of darkness.

  2. And if they make me have a Facebook account... by mfearby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... UNINSTALL! I refuse to have a Facebook account and if Whatsapp starts making it mandatory to have one, then I'll go back to plain old SMS.

    1. Re:And if they make me have a Facebook account... by Cid+Highwind · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Too late, you already have a Facebook account, everyone on the internet does.

      You just don't know the password yet.

      --
      0 1 - just my two bits
  3. Messaging? by DogDude · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I read the web site, and I still don't understand what this web site is all about. Is it really just yet another messaging platform designed to get around SMS messaging charges? Am I missing something obvious?

    1. There are tons and tons of ways to send messages to people last I checked. Why is this one worth "$16B"?

    2. Who still pays for SMS messages? I've had unlimited texting plans for the better part of a decade, and they're cheaper than most people's cable TV bills. Are text messages significantly expensive outside of the US?

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Messaging? by mwissel · · Score: 5, Informative

      No, it's more than yet another SMS replacement.

      It can do cross-mobile-platform IM, group chats, file sharing (video and audio mostly) and as of recent push to talk communication. Also, the phone number is your user account - everyone of your phone contacts will show up in your WA contact list if they use it. Many agree it is the tidies and simplest messenger for mobile platforms around.

      On the downside there is their shitty data protection and blatant security faults in the past. On Android, you can't switch off presence and reading confirmations which is quite unfortunate if your boss or knows your phone number - they will always be able to check when you were last on.

      As much as I'd love to dispose WhatsApp, I have given up any attempt to do so. Once you registered, you can't unregister (or rather, the function does nothing) and people will continue to send you things. I resigned and tell everyone to not send any sensible information over this service and I use a modded Android app (WhatsApp+ ... you can find the project page on Google+) which allows me to hide my online status.

  4. That is ridiculous by vikingpower · · Score: 5, Interesting

    $19,000,000,000 for an app that does not make money and has 32 employees. IMHO it shows that Facebook is slowly panicking.

    --
    Religous speak to God. Insane are spoken to by God. When all shut up, one can finally hear Shostakovich in peace