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WhatsApp is a popular mobile messaging application founded in February 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum. The initial idea was to create an application to display statuses in a phone’s contact menu, but it soon evolved into a platform for exchanging texts, images, and other media. The app saw a significant boost in usage with the introduction of Apple’s push notifications in June 2009, and by February 2013, it had reached 200 million active users[1]. Facebook[2] acquired WhatsApp in 2014, and it has since introduced numerous features and enhancements including message encryption, document sharing, group audio and video calls, and support for stickers. Today, WhatsApp supports multiple platforms and has over 1 billion users worldwide. Despite facing various legal issues and controversies, it continues to play a significant role in global communication.

Terms definitions
1. ↑ active users. "Active Users" is a term that refers to individuals who engage with an online platform or application during a specific time period. This term is pivotal in various sectors including business, academia, and research. In business, metrics related to active users aid in predicting growth trends, customer engagement, and potential revenue streams. In academia and research, studying active user behavior contributes to the understanding of online behavioral patterns. Ethical considerations around active users shed light on the importance of informed consent, data privacy, and confidentiality in the online realm. There are also technical challenges in defining and accurately measuring active users due to varying practices across different companies. Additionally, active user data plays a crucial role in predictive analytics and policy considerations regarding technology use and online safety.
2. ↑ Facebook ( Facebook ) Facebook, now known as Meta Platforms, is a major Internet company that started as a social networking platform. Founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, Facebook expanded rapidly from Harvard to other universities and later to the general public, becoming a global phenomenon. It is known for its user-friendly interface and various features such as Groups, the Developer Platform, and Facebook Dating. Despite facing criticism for issues like privacy breaches and the spread of fake news, Facebook has remained a dominant player in the online world. It has made significant strides in the field of technology, including the development of its unique data storage system, the use of PHP for its platform, and the launch of the Hack programming language. In recent years, the company has shifted its focus to the metaverse, a virtual reality space where users can interact with a computer-generated environment.
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WhatsApp (Wikipedia)

WhatsApp (officially WhatsApp Messenger) is an instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content. WhatsApp's client application runs on mobile devices, and can be accessed from computers. The service requires a cellular mobile telephone number to sign up. In January 2018, WhatsApp released a standalone business app called WhatsApp Business which can communicate with the standard WhatsApp client.

WhatsApp
Original author(s)Brian Acton, Jan Koum
Developer(s)Meta Platforms, Will Cathcart (Head of WhatsApp)
Initial releaseFebruary 2009; 15 years ago (2009-02)
Stable release(s) [±]
iOS24.6.77 Edit this on Wikidata / March 25, 2024; 18 days ago (March 25, 2024)
Android2.24.6.78 Edit this on Wikidata / March 25, 2024; 18 days ago (March 25, 2024)
Windows2.2411.4.0 Edit this on Wikidata / March 25, 2024; 18 days ago (March 25, 2024)
macOS2.24.5.76 Edit this on Wikidata / March 14, 2024; 29 days ago (March 14, 2024)
Preview release(s) [±]
Android (Beta)2.24.7.25 Edit this on Wikidata / March 29, 2024; 14 days ago (March 29, 2024)


9735704368
Written inErlang
Operating systemAndroid, iOS, iPadOS, KaiOS, macOS, Windows, Windows Phone, Wear OS, Web, Meta Quest (The latter two require one-time verification from the mobile app client.)
Size183.7 MB (iOS)
78.6 MB (Android)
Available in40 (iOS) and 60 (Android) languages
TypeInstant messaging, VoIP
LicenseProprietary software with EULA
"European Region"
"others"
Websitewhatsapp.com Edit this on Wikidata

The service was created by WhatsApp Inc. of Mountain View, California, which was acquired by Facebook in February 2014 for approximately US$19.3 billion. It became the world's most popular messaging application by 2015, and had more than 2 billion users worldwide by February 2020. By 2016, it had become the primary means of Internet communication in regions including Latin America, the Indian subcontinent, and large parts of Europe and Africa.

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