Google supposedly wanted to throw a wrench in Facebook’s plans to pick up WhatsApp. The methods range from attempting to convince WhatsApp to not go through with the deal to offering to purpose the company.
Via TheInformation, Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page met with CEO and co-founder of WhatsApp, Jan Koum within the last week to get the deal halted. The deal that went through saw Facebook pay a total of $19 billion to WhatsApp, allow for the company to operate independently, and Koum take a spot on the board.
According to one of the TheInformation’s unnamed sources, Larry Page told Jan Koum, “Stay independent as you’ve always planned. You’re a big threat to Facebook. And joining Facebook would have a major impact on how things play out for years to come.”
The report states that Google originally were set to outbid Facebook, but in the end WhatsApp picked Facebook as it Koum felt WhatsApp and Facebook’s ideologies were more in line with each other than WhatsApps and Google’s.
Currently there is speculation as to what WhatsApp could offer to Facebook given that the network has its own messenger service and a larger base. As mentioned in a previous report, Facebook has been losing a number of teenage users to other social platforms such as Tumblr, Twitter, and even WhatsApp. It could be seen has regaining those teenage users by having WhatsApp as a part of the larger “Facebook network”.
While TheInformation‘s report is mostly rumor, it should be noted that Google has its own messaging system and didn’t need WhatsApp. Even though the company could’ve found a use for the mobile messaging client, it’s possible they could’ve just sat on it to keep Facebook from it. Also it would serve Google to keep Facebook from having too many arms given that their Google+ isn’t really competition to the social networking site.
What do you think? Is there weight in the report or is it all just rumor and speculation? Let us know in the comments below.
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