WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum announces that he’s quitting Facebook. This news comes almost four years after Facebook acquired the messaging app for an approximate $19 billion.
He leaves after disagreeing with Facebook’s attempts to use its personal data and weaken Whatsapp’s encryption. The Whatsapp co-founder will also be leaving his seat on Facebook’s board of directors.
Koum’s decision was not a sudden change of heart though. There have already been several clashes between WhatsApp and Facebook. These arguments usually involved things such as: advertising; incorporating WhatsApp into Facebook’s web of data providers; and worries that Facebook would weaken Whatsapp’s encryption.
Koum says, “It’s time for me to move on to do things I enjoy outside of technology, such as collecting rare air-cooled Porsches, working on my cars, and playing ultimate frisbee.”
Mark Zuckerberg replies Koum, stting that he’s ‘grateful … for everything you’ve taught me, including about encryption and its ability to take power from centralized systems and put it back in people’s hands.’
Facebook’s more prominent employees have usually stuck with the company during times of turmoil. As such, Koum leaving goes against the typical Facebook loyalty.
(Source: Motherboard)
