WhatsApp Passes 2 Billion User Milestone
Just half a billion behind Facebook.
For the first time in two years, Facebook-owned WhatsApp has revealed its user numbers. The company disclosed in a blog post that it has officially reached over two billion users worldwide, which is around half a billion less users than Facebook itself has.
WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart told The Wall Street Journal in a recent interview that WhatsApp would continue to operate separately than Facebook for the most part. The blog post addressed concerns surrounding the app’s encryption service, stating that “strong encryption is a necessity in modern life” and ensuring that it will continue to offer end-to-end encryption.
“We will not compromise on security because that would make people less safe,” explained the post. “For even more protection, we work with top security experts, employ industry leading technology to stop misuse as well as provide controls and ways to report issues — without sacrificing privacy.”
Regardless of concerns surrounding privacy, it is clear WhatsApp’s ability to connect users across the globe is appreciated by its two billion users and counting.
Elsewhere in tech, Instagram reportedly earned $20 billion USD in ad revenue in 2019.
