Who owns WhatsApp now and what country is it from - briefly?
WhatsApp is currently owned by Meta Platforms Inc., a technology conglomerate based in the United States.
Who owns WhatsApp now and what country is it from - in detail?
WhatsApp, one of the most popular messaging platforms globally, was founded in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum, both former employees of Yahoo!. The company's headquarters were established in Mountain View, California, in the United States. In February 2014, Facebook, Inc., currently known as Meta Platforms, Inc., acquired WhatsApp for approximately $19 billion, making it one of the largest acquisitions in technology history at that time.
The acquisition was a significant move by Facebook to expand its reach into the mobile messaging market and to integrate WhatsApp's services with its own ecosystem. Despite initial concerns about user privacy and data protection, WhatsApp continues to operate as an independent platform under the Meta umbrella. The company has maintained its end-to-end encryption feature, which ensures that messages are securely transmitted between users.
WhatsApp's ownership by Meta Platforms, Inc., based in Menlo Park, California, underscores the global nature of technology acquisitions and the strategic importance of messaging platforms in the digital landscape. The acquisition has allowed WhatsApp to leverage Facebook's extensive resources and technological infrastructure, enhancing its capabilities and expanding its user base. Today, WhatsApp is used by over 2 billion people worldwide, making it a cornerstone of global communication.