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After announcing their engagement back in February, Facebook’s borderline crazy $19 billion dollar acquisition of popular messaging service WhatsApp is now officially complete. Although regulators were initially concerned about the effect the deal could have on competition (WhatsApp’s user base is nearing the 1 billion mark) and user privacy, it appears everything worked out in the end.
Interestingly enough, the deal is now worth more than it was back in February. This is thanks to the value of Facebook’s rising shares, making it closer to around $21.8 billion. With WhatsApp now officially a Facebook company, it still remains to be seen exactly how The Social Network plans on further monetizing the messaging service outside it’s $1 a year membership fee. We’d imagine stickers and other in-app purchases are incoming but here’s to hoping Facebook doesn’t ruin a good thing.
I do not use WhatsApp…and now I definitely will not be using it….
It was unlikely I would have anyways, Viber is better but if I were going to I certainly won’t with facebook at the reigns.
I use Whatsapp to keep in contact with all my international friends. I don’t see this changing unless Facebook starts putting ads into the program that I’ve paid for.
I just hope they don’t make stupid decisions like Google, and that we don’t have to open a Facebook account to keep using WhatsApp
Ad-supported version will probably replace the free one-year trial period :(
I have a bad feeling about this. Smells like a Facebook & WhatsApp integration.
This valuation is still Cray Cray no matter how you look at it.
What’s app will be terrible now. Once Facebook gets a hold of it, it’s ruined
I don’t even know anyone who uses WhatsApp. To have a billion subscribers, it must be popular in 3rd world countries I guess.