We won’t change WhatsApp’s mission, says founder

The founder of WhatsApp has promised to remain on a mission of connectivity, free from marketing gimmicks, after being acquired for a hefty $19bn by Facebook.

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, WhatsApp founder and CEO Jan Koum, assured that the communications app will stay independently run and free from advertising.

“Five years ago we had no users, no revenue and no product – only a prototype – and that prototype sucked. But we were passionate about building a product and we wanted to build one with specific values – be simple to use, intuitive, fast and always work, and to connect people,” he said.

Koum spoke about how his upbringing in communist Russia inspired him to create a platform that would connect people, giving them a voice without control or suppression.

“We are driven by mission to ensure people can stay in touch,” said Koum.

Koum reiterated that he created a product free from promotions and it will stay that way on his watch in order to retain the 465 million monthly active users and attract even more.

“We promise not to change and to continue to build what is important to us – using the philosophy of using a product to help people connect,” he concluded.

He also announced that the messaging giant is finally moving into voice. The move will put WhatsApp — and by default Facebook — more squarely in competition against the likes of KakaoTalk, Line, BBM and other messaging apps that also offer voice services.