Facebook gets FTC go-ahead for WhatsApp acquisition deal

Image
ANI Washington
Last Updated : Apr 09 2014 | 2:45 PM IST

The Federal Trade Commission has given Facebook approval for the controversial acquisition of WhatsApp.

Sources said that the FTC was close to approving the 19 billion dollars deal or extend the merger review.

The social networking site had announced on February 19 that it was planning to acquire the mobile messaging service.

According to the New York Post, the FTC had 30 days to decide over Facebook's acquisition after the site submitted its merger application with regulators.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg included one billion dollars in cash, and one billion dollars in Facebook shares as a break-up fee payable to WhatsApp if regulatory authorities stopped the merger, showing that at least WhatsApp had some regulatory concerns, the report added.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Apr 09 2014 | 2:30 PM IST

Next Story