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WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum will be leaving Facebook, nearly ten years after he and co-founder Brian Action created the popular messaging app. Koum’s departure is due to clashes with the company over user privacy and weakening of WhatsApp’s encryption, according to a Washington Post report. WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for nearly $19 billion, which was the social media network’s most expensive acquisition ever.
The WhatsApp CEO also wrote a post on his Facebook page announcing the departure, though he did not mention about clashes with the company over privacy. His resignation comes at a time when Facebook is under the scanner over user data and privacy. Here’s a look at the reactions to Koum’s exit and what has been confirmed so far.
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WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum’s Facebook post announcing his departure
The WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum wrote a short note on his Facebook page announcing his departure from the company. He wrote, “It’s been almost a decade since Brian and I started WhatsApp, and it’s been an amazing journey with some of the best people. But it is time for me to move on.” Koum added he was blessed to have worked “with such an incredibly small team and see how a crazy amount of focus can produce an app used by so many people all over the world.”
He added that the “team was stronger than ever and will continue to do amazing things.” Koum did not reveal in his post what his next venture will be, but said that he will do things outside of the technology world. This includes “collecting rare air-cooled Porsches, working on my cars and playing ultimate frisbee.” The post concludes by saying, “And I’ll still be cheering WhatsApp on – just from the outside. Thanks to everyone who has made this journey possible.”
While Koum’s post does not talk about disagreements over privacy, a Washington Post report said that he is quitting over clashes with the parent company Facebook on various issues. These include WhatsApp’s overall strategy, Facebook using WhatsApp’s personal data and possible weakening of its encryption. The report cites people who are familiar with internal discussions and notes that Koum’s exit is unusual given he was the only founder of a company bought by Facebook, who was on the company’s board.
Also read: WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton says it is time, users should delete Facebook
WhatsApp executives were opposed to Facebook building a user profile with the app’s data which would be used across Facebook and its platforms for ad-targeting, recommending Facebook friends, etc, points out the Washington Post report. However, both Jan Koum and his co-founder Brian Acton eventually gave in to this idea.
It also appears that the WhatsApp founders clashed with Facebook over the mobile payments system which has been rolled out in India. This is based on India’s Unified Payments Interface. Finally, there were clashes over encryption on WhatsApp with Facebook wanting to make it easier for businesses to use the app and its tools. The report notes, “WhatsApp executives believed that doing so would require some weakening of its encryption.” It also looks like Koum’s exit could be followed by others in November, adds the report.
Read more: WhatsApp CEO and co-founder Jan Koum to leave Facebook amid privacy flap
It should be noted that when the Facebook Cambridge Analytica data leak was first revealed, WhatsApp co-founder Brian Action, who had quit the company in February 2018, had tweeted, “It is time. #DeleteFacebook.” Acton is now part of Signal, another messaging app which has secure encryption. In fact, WhatsApp relies on Signal’s protocol for its end-to-end encryption.
In a reply to Jan Koum’s post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote, “I will miss working so closely with you. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done to help connect the world, and 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. Those values will always be at the heart of WhatsApp.”
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg commented on the post saying, “Jan, the work you’ve done building WhatsApp has connected so many people around the world. I’m grateful to have worked with you and I wish you all the best in your next chapter.” There’s no confirmation on who will be the next CEO of WhatsApp.
