The merger is still being reviewed by the European Commission’s competition branch, and with a microscope. The regulators in the United States have already waved it through, but not without considering the privacy of the users, and the promises already made by Whatsapp in their Terms of Service (ToS).
Jessica Rich, director of the bureau of consumer protection, of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wrote in a letter to Facebook and Whatsapp’s offices, “We want to make clear that, regardless of the acquisition, WhatsApp must continue to honor these promises to consumers. Further, if the acquisition is completed and WhatsApp fails to honor these promises, both companies could be in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act and, potentially, the FTC’s order against Facebook.” Facebook and WhatsApp continue to operate separately, and according to Zuckerberg, the acquisition is to provide their new messenger service the resources and opportunities it needs to grow to its full potential.
At a event held by the number 2 richest man in the world, Mexico’s billionaire Carlos Slim in Mexico City, Zuckerberg highlighted another one of his initiatives, Internet.org. At the event, Zuckerberg was quoted with saying, “What we really care about is connecting everyone in the world. Even if it means that Facebook has to spend billions of dollars over the next decade making this happen, I believe that over the long term it’s gonna be a good thing for us and for the world.”
According to their ambitious project’s website, “The goal of Internet.org is to make internet access available to the two-thirds of the world who are not yet connected, and to bring the same opportunities to everyone that the connected third of the world has today.”
(Photo courtesy of Keri J)
I’m a poet, an entrepreneur, a creative writer, a cynic, and most importantly, a child at heart. My personal experience working in the Financial industry as proven an asset to my industrious qualities. My control over the English language has effectively helped to persuade many opportunities into action. I seek all the knowledge I can obtain, and gladly share it with all who’d listen.
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