Whatsapp is refuting rumors that it’s in negotiations for a Facebook buyout.
Whatsapp is refuting rumors that it’s in negotiations for a Facebook buyout. In a statement, the company’s business head Neeraj Arora said, “The TechCrunch article is a rumor and not factually accurate. We have no further information to share at the moment.”
Mobile messaging service WhatsApp has denied a report it’s in talks for a takeover by Facebook. TechCrunch reported earlier that Facebook was planning to acquire the company.
Multiple sources have told AllThingsD that an acquisition isn’t happening, even though both Google and Facebook have been interested in Whatsapp in the past.
Unlike most social apps, Whatsapp costs 99 cents on iOS — even though it’s free on other platforms like Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry. The company announced a year ago that it’s serving 1 billion messages a day, a figure that’s likely significantly higher today.
It’s extremely popular in Europe and Asia as a free alternative to SMS messaging.