Facebook, which closed its acquisition of WhatsApp on Monday, has no plans to make money from the mobile messaging service anytime soon.
Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, who is visiting India to participate in an event to boost Internet usage, didn't give further details, according to Reuters.
The social-networking company's final WhatsApp acquisition price tag has increased by approximately $3 billion to around $22 billion, the largest deal ever for Facebook. The value increased because of the increased value of Facebook's stock in the past couple months.
U.S. regulators have been reassured that WhatsApp would remain a standalone app and will not find its way into the social network, according to Reuters.
WhatsApp has over 600 million users, making it by far the most popular messaging app in the world. The service is heavily used for sending messages to and from mobile devices.
"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," WhatsApp founder Jan Koum said when the deal news broke months ago.
Koum has since joined Facebook's board, according to Reuters. He will also be paid just $1 per year Zuckerberg, according to filings. He has been given a very large portion of Facebook shares to hold on to instead.
Facebook announced plans to purchase the company back in February, though most analysts had concerns over how the company would generate enough money to justify its hefty price.
It seems at this point that Facebook hasn't settled on a specific plan yet, according to CNET.com.
WhatsApp only charges a 99 cent annual subscription fee, which is waived for the first year. For now, users shouldn't expect WhatsApp to change its business model if Facebook stays true to its word.
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