The 10 Biggest Tech Stories of 2014 (So Far)

5.Facebook Makes its Biggest Acquisition Ever with WhatsApp

In mid-February, the world’s jaw dropped upon hearing of Facebook’s acquisition of popular messaging app: Whatsapp. An app that allows users to send instant messages free from additional SMS charges, Whatsapp has conquered the messaging world, reporting roughly 450 million active users. The mobile service has become so widely used that it caught the attention of the creators of world’s largest social network, deciding to buy the company for a couple billion dollars…$19 billion, to be exact. Though Facebook claims that the two companies will continue to run independently, this acquisition will dramatically alter the way we use Facebook, shifting even more towards private chat.