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?
WOW! $16B?? That just boggles my mind. I would sell them my company for $250K!! Come on facebook!
Eso se venia venir el pes grande se come al pez chiquito,jajaja
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.
16B+3B worth of employees.
muy sierto
bad news
Yup!. Hangouts it is..!
If they start combining WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, I am moving to Viber
Hangouts!!
a post by has the BBC calling it a "16bn Massage service!:) Some massage:)
What's shocking is that Facebook has $16 billion.
Guaoooo!. It's Great!. It's a Good Notice!.
I am not good with math. Is 19 billion much money? Oh yeah, they can be a small country.
That's my phone memory freed up a bit, bye bye WhatsApp.
Meh.
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.
It's a Bad News!.
Bye bye whatapp
Uninstalled long ago. Hangouts are where it's at! Convert more G+ users people!
I always use Hangout to talk with people, it's easy and free, and has some of the coolest emotes ;D
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
Whatever drives FB into insolvency faster.
I will see where this leads and then decide whether I keep Whatsapp or not.
Whatever drives FB into insolvency faster.
saying that fair play to whatsapp owner and he gets on fb board round of applause well played
Telegram
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.
queeee!!!?
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.
There goes that app.
would surprise you just how many ppl don't look at the permission they give to an app…
already uninstalled.
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.
16 Billion seems a bit to much. What else are they getting out of it?
I stopped using Instagram when they bought that. I don't intend on having a FB account and never will.
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
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?
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!
Whatsapp all the way just need to erase my bbm account totally now
I hope i wont need a Facebook account to use it
I'm old fashioned. I use SMS. (and iMessage).
I'm with you Karin!
hi
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!
ni
targeted ads in your chat stream based on your fb usage
the second SMS us tainted with ads there will be a mass exodus.
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.
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.
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.