WhatsApp was sold to Facebook for billions of dollars in 2014. Thus, the messaging application came under the roof of a new company. The future of WhatsApp on Facebook was a matter of curiosity at that time. Facebook has made many changes to WhatsApp since then, making the app more of a social media app than a messaging app. Neeraj Arora, one of the former managers of WhatsApp, came up with an interesting confession years later.
CONFESSION FROM FORMER MANAGER OF WHATSAPP: “I REGRET”
Neeraj Arora, former manager of WhatsApp, shared a series of posts on Twitter. Arora said she initially helped negotiate the $22 billion sale to Facebook, noting: “Today, I regret it.”
In 2014, I was the Chief Business Officer of WhatsApp.
And I helped negotiate the $22 billion sale to Facebook.
Today, I regret it.
Here’s where things went wrong:
— neeraj arora (@neerajarora) May 4, 2022
FACEBOOK’S PROMISES
Arora said they turned down Facebook’s initial offer, with the company coming back to them in early 2014 with an offer that looked like a partnership. Talking about Facebook’s promises, one of the first promises was complete independence in product decisions, according to Arora. Other promises from Mark Zuckerberg’s company were to not integrate ads and cross-platform tracking into the app, and to ensure no user data mining.
EVERYTHING WAS GOOD BUT THINGS CHANGED
According to Arora, Facebook and its management also agreed and thought they believed in their mission. As a result, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $22 billion in 2014. But things started to look very different in 2017 and 2018, according to the former manager.
Brian Acton, one of the co-founders of the application, decided to leave in 2017. Speaking to Forbes a year later, Acton said Facebook planned to show ads on WhatsApp even before the deal. In 2018, Jan Koum and Aora, the other co-founders of WhatsApp, also left the company.
“FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER”
Finally, Aurora said, “Today, WhatsApp is Facebook’s second largest platform (even bigger than Instagram or Facebook Messenger). But it’s a shadow of the product we pour our hearts into and want to build for the world. And Facebook regrets when it’s a part of it. “I’m not the only one. When tech companies do wrong, they have to admit it. Initially, no one knew Facebook would be a Frankenstein monster wiping out user data. Neither did we.” she said.