It’ll be like this $16 billion deal never even happened.
At least, that’s according to a blog post on Wednesday from WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum, reassuring customers that despite Facebook’s acquisition of the company, nothing about the service will change.
“Here’s what will change for you, our users: nothing,” the post said.
WhatsApp will operate independently, reiterating what Facebook also said in its announcement. The service won’t have any ads interrupting your communication. People will still be able to pay a small fee to use the service.
“There would have been no partnership between our two companies if we had to compromise on the core principles that will always define our company, our vision and our product,” Koum said.
Koum said that the deal — which will add up to $19 billion, once $3 billion in restricted stock options gets added to the $16 billion in cash and stock — allows WhatsApp to grow, while freeing him up to focus on building a communications service “that’s as fast, affordable, and personal as possible.”
In WhatsApp, Facebook gets an app that is used by 450 million people each month, and 320 million each day. It’s a service that previously competed against Facebook’s own messenger app, although WhatsApp’s audience skews more toward outside the US.