Facebook Buys Chat Program WhatsApp for 16 Billion

Facebook Buys Chat Program WhatsApp for 16 Billion

by Amanda Blain
Published: Last Updated on
In a not very shocking move (beyond the purchase price) Faceybook has purchased WhatsApps 190 Million monthly active users for a cool $16 billion in cash and stock options.

Have to keep up with the times, and the kids/teens are using Whatsapp to chat.  I personally stopped using Facebook messenger when it started asking for SMS reading abilities in the last few releases.

The last thing I want is Faceybook reading my texts with their ridiculous privacy controls. 

The deal includes "leaving the brand intact" so it will be interesting to see what Facebook does with the company.

Will you be uninstalling? What do you use for messaging your friends?

   

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David Foster
David Foster
10 years ago

WOW! $16B?? That just boggles my mind. I would sell them my company for $250K!! Come on facebook!

CARLOS JAQUE
CARLOS JAQUE
10 years ago

Eso se venia venir el pes grande se come al pez chiquito,jajaja

Carlos Balderas
Carlos Balderas
10 years ago

I use primarily Hangouts, though for those that only do FB and not Google Ploos, I still send FB private messages, reach out to those on Twitter. I've only used WhatsApp a few times, but that was a few years ago.

Alexander Terry
Alexander Terry
10 years ago

16B+3B worth of employees.

Carmen MontITA Medina
Carmen MontITA Medina
10 years ago

muy sierto

Victor de la isla
Victor de la isla
10 years ago

bad news

Fred Dresken
Fred Dresken
10 years ago

Yup!. Hangouts it is..!

Simon Taplin
Simon Taplin
10 years ago

If they start combining WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, I am moving to Viber

Rob McCallum
Rob McCallum
10 years ago

Hangouts!!

youis Roland J. Ruttledge
youis Roland J. Ruttledge
10 years ago

 a post by  has the BBC calling it a "16bn Massage service!:)  Some massage:)

Holland Rhodes
Holland Rhodes
10 years ago

What's shocking is that Facebook has $16 billion.

oshin elizabeth sato chavez
oshin elizabeth sato chavez
10 years ago

Guaoooo!. It's Great!. It's a Good Notice!.

Michael Lander
Michael Lander
10 years ago

I am not good with math. Is 19 billion much money? Oh yeah, they can be a small country.

Nick Moore
Nick Moore
10 years ago

That's my phone memory freed up a bit, bye bye WhatsApp.

Jeff Angcanan
Jeff Angcanan
10 years ago

Meh.

Jesse Vandewal
Jesse Vandewal
10 years ago

I'm ready to uninstall the facebook app completely as the last update (which I haven't done) gives the app permission to send emails to contacts without the users knowing. They seem to be pushing things too far lately, who knows what they'll do with WhatsApp.

oshin elizabeth sato chavez
oshin elizabeth sato chavez
10 years ago

It's a Bad News!.

Adam Warkiewicz
Adam Warkiewicz
10 years ago

Bye bye whatapp

Vanessa C
Vanessa C
10 years ago

Uninstalled long ago. Hangouts are where it's at! Convert more G+ users people!

Megan Turner
Megan Turner
10 years ago

I always use Hangout to talk with people, it's easy and free, and has some of the coolest emotes ;D

eric mccrory
eric mccrory
10 years ago

uninstall it I say facebook won't be able to resist putting there tweaks into this soon pop up adds or loads of banner adds appearing in app they need to get that ridiculous amount of cash back some way another good app which will be ruined by a big company buying it

Eric Aultman
Eric Aultman
10 years ago

Whatever drives FB into insolvency faster.

Eve A
Eve A
10 years ago

I will see where this leads and then decide whether I keep Whatsapp or not.

Eric Aultman
Eric Aultman
10 years ago

Whatever drives FB into insolvency faster.

eric mccrory
eric mccrory
10 years ago

saying that fair play to whatsapp owner and he gets on fb board round of applause well played

Carlos Enrique Ponce Bohorquez
Carlos Enrique Ponce Bohorquez
10 years ago

Telegram

Darren Krusi
Darren Krusi
10 years ago

Hi  when you say they read your phone's texts do they read any of the other messaging apps? I've minimised my text usage now with the majority of my communication done through Hangouts or other chat apps and when I have to I go onto Facebook to clear my notifications.

Adalberto Castro
Adalberto Castro
10 years ago

queeee!!!?

Amanda Blain
Amanda Blain
10 years ago

These are the permission on Facebook Messenger in the Play Store –
Your messages
edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)
receive text messages (SMS)
read your text messages (SMS or MMS)
send SMS messages
receive text messages (MMS)

Was an immediate uninstall for me since i dont use it for that in anyway.

Chuck Rothberg
Chuck Rothberg
10 years ago

There goes that app.

eric mccrory
eric mccrory
10 years ago

would surprise you just how many ppl don't look at the permission they give to an app…

Timo Hujala
Timo Hujala
10 years ago

already uninstalled.

John O'Connor
John O'Connor
10 years ago

I'm with  here.  While I still have FB installed on a device or two, i refuse to update it due to permissions and also have all notifications turned off.

Gear Hornet
Gear Hornet
10 years ago

16 Billion seems a bit to much. What else are they getting out of it?

Jeff Trocchio
Jeff Trocchio
10 years ago

I stopped using Instagram when they bought that. I don't intend on having a FB account and never will.

Darren Krusi
Darren Krusi
10 years ago

I just got rid of Facebook/Messenger because its notifications pissed me off. I didn't update Facebook because of the permissions but didn't look into Messenger's then just got rid of the whole shebang. Happy

Malki Zee
Malki Zee
10 years ago

Only use whatsapp for a small group of international people. I'm sure there is or will be another service to take over.

If they do anything stupid its bye bye from me.

Outside the USA people are very big into whatsapp. Limited texting plans?

Cebastian Rosing
Cebastian Rosing
10 years ago

I use Facebook Messenger and Hangouts. Nothing more, it covers everyone I know. And honestly, I could go by without Facebook Messenger. I'm drawing closer to close my Facebook Account, by the weeks. Some day soon-ish, I just might decide that. This deal means nothing to me, and I'd say Facebook is crazy. Congratulations to +WhatsApp though!

Kristopher Peart
Kristopher Peart
10 years ago

Whatsapp all the way just need to erase my bbm account totally now

Daniel Berlin
Daniel Berlin
10 years ago

I hope i wont need a Facebook account to use it

Karin Nelson
Karin Nelson
10 years ago

I'm old fashioned. I use SMS. (and iMessage).

Mike Mike
Mike Mike
10 years ago

 I'm with you Karin!

Jan Blakkestad
Jan Blakkestad
10 years ago

hi

Peter du Toit
Peter du Toit
10 years ago

In our part of the world (S.Africa) almost everyone I know (friends and family) have jumped ship from FB to WhatsApp – I have a feeling this may very well have been an accelerating trend worldwide. To be honest I don't think FB had much of a choice here! Buy WhatsApp or continue to bleed users to it!

muhammad salman
muhammad salman
10 years ago

ni

Andrew M
Andrew M
10 years ago

targeted ads in your chat stream based on your fb usage 

Malki Zee
Malki Zee
10 years ago

the second SMS us tainted with ads there will be a mass exodus.

Andrew M
Andrew M
10 years ago

Then flip it. Targeted ads in your facebook stream based on who you chat with via whatsapp. They can infer information about you based on your social circles.

Thomas Baker
Thomas Baker
10 years ago

I use hangouts a lot now that I have an android phone. Have yet to install the FB app on my phine, although I do check my account using chrome.

Chris Lau
Chris Lau
10 years ago

uninstalled. This was paid with funny stock money, so the number is big but the relative value is not so. I played through the tech bubble and assure you Facebook's relevance will go where it will go.

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