Category Archives: FACTS

The numbers indicate that WhatsApp has become the world’s most popular and successful messaging solution, with around 900 million users around the globe. Even though it is not that popular in America, WhatsApp has become incredibly popular in many different countries.

This means WhatsApp could be the world’s first truly global communications medium and global app. Its appeal seems to be universal, cutting across cultural and national boundaries. This is one of the reasons why Facebook was willing to pay $19 billion for WhatsApp in 2014, according to The Wall Street Journal.

When asked why WhatsApp was so valuable, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg had a simple answer. He said the solution’s value was in its ability to reach one billion users. Zuckerberg also told reporters that he thought WhatsApp was actually underpriced at $19 billion.

WhatsApp’s Popularity Across the Globe

A quick look at the percentages of Internet users in certain markets that send messages via WhatsApp shows that Mr. Zuckerberg could be right. WhatsApp is now the most popular and successful messaging application in an incredible variety of countries.

Statista calculated the percentages of Internet users that also used WhatsApp in many countries and came up with the following figures:

• South Africa, 78%
• Malaysia, 75%
• Argentina, 75%
• Singapore, 72%
• Hong Kong, 71%
• Spain, 70%
• India, 69%
• Mexico, 67%
• Italy, 62%
• Netherlands, 61%
• Germany, 57%
• Brazil, 56%
• Saudi Arabia, 56%
• Indonesia, 52%

As you can see, WhatsApp has successfully penetrated and dominated some of the world’s largest markets and done it in a little over five years. The app was launched around six years ago, in 2009.

WhatsApp is also very successful in very different countries. It seems to be as popular in Saudi Araba, a conservative Islamic society, as in a liberal European nation such as Spain or the Netherlands.

So Why Is WhatsApp So Popular Around the World?

There are several features that give WhatsApp its universal appeal. It is relatively cheap and easy to use, and it allows for free messaging across borders and between nations.

Another reason why WhatsApp is so popular is that it can be accessed via mobile phones, which are the most popular means of accessing the Internet in many countries. Only around 8% of Americans that have widespread Internet access via computers use WhatsApp, while around 69% of Indians that rely upon mobile phones to reach the web use it.

Some countries, like South Africa, simply lack the kind of Internet infrastructure found in the United States or France. Yet they have wireless access almost anywhere. A person that wants to send a message in South Africa knows that there is a signal almost anywhere, but the nearest broadband connection could be 20 or 30 kilometers away.

What Do People Use WhatsApp for Around the World?

The uses of WhatsApp vary greatly around the world. It has been used to send out political advertising in Tanzania , to operate a concierge service in India, and for a wide variety of con games in Spain. Some Muslim men in India have even tried to use WhatsApp to divorce their wives. British newspapers are using WhatsApp as a new means of disseminating newsfeeds to social media.

In India, there has been a whole wave of startup businesses devoted to WhatsApp. In Italy, WhatsApp has been at the center of a wide variety of divorce cases because it is widely used for infidelity. The Independent reported that WhatsApp evidence was used in nearly one half of the divorce cases in Italy.

“Now WhatsApp, which is being used widely and has encouraged the return of the Latin lover,” Gian Ettore Gassani the president of the Italian Association of Matrimonial lawyers told the Times of London. “Lovers can now exchange risqué photos of themselves, and we have seen adulterers using the service to maintain three or four relationships – it’s like dynamite.”

WhatsApp Ravages Telecom Business in Persian Gulf

Another use for WhatsApp is to increase the sales of mobile phone service. Ooredoo Kuwait, a telecom company in the Persian Gulf, has been giving away free WhatsApp to customers as a means of increasing its market share. Anybody that buys service from Ooredoo Kuwait can access WhatsApp without paying the $1 fee, Gulf Business reported .

One reason why the telecom is taking that step is that messaging solutions such as WhatsApp have deeply cut into the revenue that telephone companies make from calls and texts. Nobody is paying for Ooredoo Kuwait’s messaging anymore because everybody is apparently using the much cheaper WhatsApp.

Another reason why Ooredoo Kuwait is giving WhatsApp away is to get people to use more data. The company hopes that those that get free WhatsApp will send more videos and other messages out and need more data, which it will sell them.

Major users of WhatsApp in the Persian Gulf include expatriates, who utilize the solution to contact family in Europe and India. Using WhatsApp is cheaper than making a regular phone call or sending a text, and it can even be free if you send it through a free Wi-Fi connection.

This means that WhatsApp can make massive changes in business as well as social life. This simple app can destroy marriages and upset entire industries because it is so cheap and easy to use.

WhatsApp as a Disruptive Force

As you can see, WhatsApp is far more than just an app. It is a highly disruptive force. This messaging solution is capable of disrupting everything from business to marriages, and it can change society as it does.

Naturally, if WhatsApp can disrupt marriage or business, it can affect other spheres of life. One has to wonder what effects WhatsApp will have in the worlds of politics, religion, and entertainment.

That means WhatsApp is not only all over the world but it is capable of changing the world in dramatic ways. It looks as if Zuckerberg’s claim that he underpaid for WhatsApp is absolutely true. This app is worth far more than $19 billion because it is capable of changing the world by connecting people.

Staying in contact with friends and family without spending a fortune can be one of the hardest parts of international travel. That is why many seasoned travelers rely on WhatsApp, which can help travelers stay in touch at a low cost.

You need to be very careful when you are traveling because phone service providers charge up to 5¢ apiece for text messages. They often disguise the charge by offering a deal like 50 messages for $10; that sounds good until you realize that some people can send up to 50 messages a day.

You will be charged every time you ask your friend to check on the plants at your apartment or send a picture to Mom back home. That means some travelers can end up spending up to $10 a day on messages or more; if your trip lasts two weeks, that adds up to $140.

To make matters worse, some companies offer minimum data plans that start charging more if you send more messages than in the plan. AT&T, a large American phone company, actually charges $30 per 120 megabytes of data added when you travel.

Message for Less with WhatsApp

Fortunately, nobody needs to pay those rates now that WhatsApp is available. Since WhatsApp uses little or no data, it can enable a person to send out a virtually unlimited number of messages on a basic data plan.

A person can send up to 22,000 messages using WhatsApp and a basic $30 120-megabyte data plan, Triphackr.com reported . Since WhatsApp only costs $1, that means you get 22,000 messages for $31.

You should be careful because this means just basic messages. If you send out a lot of photos or videos, you can quickly burn through your data plan. Yet if you are just sending texts, you should be able to send all the messages you want.

It Can Work on Almost Any Phone

More importantly, with WhatsApp, you can send messages through virtually any Internet connection. That means you will be able to message even if you buy a local phone or a SIM card with a data plan for your phone once you reach your destination.

Since WhatsApp works across platforms, it can work on a wide variety of phones, including Blackberries, iPhones, and Android devices. More importantly, WhatsApp is designed for the world’s most popular smartphone operating system, Google’s Android. That means it is more likely to work on that cheap phone you buy at your destination.

If you usually buy a new phone when you visit a different country, WhatsApp is definitely for you. Since it’s designed as a cross-platform solution, WhatsApp will work on almost all of the latest model smart phones.

Another Way to Use WhatsApp Abroad

There’s another reason why you should use WhatsApp when you travel abroad. You can use it off of your phone or virtually any computer with an Internet connection as long as you use WhatsApp Web .

That means you can use it to stay in touch through your laptop or tablet if you bring it along. You will need to download WhatsApp Web and install it in order to take advantage of this service.

WhatsApp in the Air

It can also work on Wi-Fi, which means you can use it from your phone by dropping into an Internet café or even on an airliner. One the biggest advantages WhatsApp provides travelers is that you can sometimes use it in the sky.

In the United States, around two thirds of the airlines now offer some sort of Wi-Fi service, PCMag reported . Two large American carriers, Southwest Airlines and Delta Airlines, now offer Wi-Fi on most of their flights. Another large U.S. carrier, United, now offers Wi-Fi on most of its international flights.

That means you should be able to use WhatsApp on the plane if Wi-Fi is available. If you are not sure if Wi-Fi is available, simply ask the flight attendant. He or she should be able to tell you if connectivity is available and how to connect to it.

It should be noted, however, that even the best Wi-Fi connections on planes do not always work because airliners move and sometimes move out of range of the signal. Carriers are spending a lot of money to upgrade Wi-Fi service, but the level of connectivity they offer is far from perfect.

Save Money with WhatsApp and Wi-Fi

On the ground, you can save money by staying at a hotel with Wi-Fi or taking advantage of Wi-Fi hotspots. You will save money because WhatsApp enables you to send messages for free as long as you have a direct Internet connection, such as the one provided by Wi-Fi.

You can also avoid higher data charges by waiting until you have a Wi-Fi connection available to send out bigger files, such as photos and videos. If you only send texts when you are not on Wi-Fi, you can conserve your data plan while you are traveling.

When you travel in the United States, you can often find free Wi-Fi at some restaurants, including the Starbucks coffee shops and many public libraries. Wi-Fi hotspots are also available in some public places such as shopping malls.

Another good suggestion is to ask about Wi-Fi when you check into a hotel or hostel. Many hotels offer it as an amenity to attract more guests.

Is It the Best Travel App Around?

Many observers, including Guardian writer Siraj Datoo, believe that WhatsApp is the best app for travelers because it lets her send out large numbers of texts for free no matter where she is.

If you travel and you like to text, you need to download WhatsApp. It could be the best possible solution available to today’s travelers. If you already use WhatsApp, you should be able to use it at no extra cost wherever you can find an Internet connection in the world. That means travelers should never have to pay to message again.

Staying connected is easier than ever before when you use WhatsApp. It is a perfect alternative to both expensive long distance calls and costly messages.

Nothing is more frustrating than an app that does not work. Unfortunately, even easy-to-use solutions such as WhatsApp can suddenly stop working. Fortunately, there is usually a reason why WhatsApp is not working, and you can usually get the messaging solution to work again if you can determine what it is.

Here are the 10 most common reasons why WhatsApp will stop working and some easy fixes for them. Implementing these repairs should restore your WhatsApp service in most cases.

10 Common WhatsApp Problems and Some Easy Fixes:

1 – Problem: I cannot connect to WhatsApp on my phone.

Probable Causes: There is a lack of connection or your phone is not working.

Easy Fixes:

• Make sure that the phone is turned on and that it stays turned on.

• Make sure that the device is not set to Airplane Mode.

• Make sure that the battery is charged.

• Make sure that you have not used up all the data in your data plan. Check your wireless bill to see what the limits are.

• Check your Internet connection: Go to Settings>Wireless connection and choose the method you use. In most cases, this will be 3G; if the phone is set to Wi-Fi, it can only connect to the Internet in hotspots where it has been authorized access.

• Note: If you are not getting a 3G signal, you’ll have to move to a location where you can get one.

• Check to see if you have another app that is blocking WhatsApp. This can be a Task Killer that shuts down applications to save power.

• Empty the App Catch by going to Settings>Applications>WhatsApp>Clear Code.

• Try installing the latest version of WhatsApp from Google Play or the App Store.

2 – I cannot get WhatsApp to work on my tablet, desktop, or laptop.

Probable Cause: You are using the wrong version of WhatsApp.

Easy Fix: Simply install WhatsApp Web , the version of the app designed for computers rather than phones on your computer. This will let you access your WhatsApp account through your computer.

3 – I cannot connect to WhatsApp using Wi-Fi.

Probable Causes: Your device is not set to get WhatsApp for Wi-Fi or you lack permission to access Wi-Fi.

Easy Fixes:

• Go to Settings>Wireless and make sure the device is set to Wi-Fi and not to 3G.

• Check with the Wi-Fi Administrator to make sure you have permission to use the Wi-Fi. Many Wi-Fi systems require a password to enter it, including those in public libraries.

4 – WhatsApp does not recognize my contacts.

Probable Causes: You have the wrong version of WhatsApp, or the person you are contacting is not on WhatsApp.

Easy Fixes:

• Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp by installing the newest one from the Microsoft Store, Windows Store, or Google Play.

• Check with your contacts and make sure they are using WhatsApp. WhatsApp can only recognize contacts that use it.

• Check your contact list to see if your contacts and contact groups are set to viewable or visible.

5 – WhatsApp is downloading media I do not want and using up my data plan.

Probable Cause: The media auto-download feature is turned on.

Easy Fixes:

• Go to Chat Settings> Media Auto-Download and make sure it is not set to download when using mobile data or when roaming. This will stop all media except audio messages from being downloaded.

• You can also set WhatsApp to download media only when connected to Wi-Fi to save data.

6 – WhatsApp will not let me download media other than audio messages.

Probable Cause: Media auto-download is turned off.

Easy Fixes:

• Go to Chat Settings>Media Auto-Download and make sure it is set to the kind of connection you want: When Using Mobile Data, When Connected on Wi-Fi, or When Roaming.

• Make sure that Media Auto-Download is set for the kind of media you want and not set to No Media.

7 – WhatsApp will not let me send a file.

Probable Cause: WhatsApp is only configured to support a limited number of file types. It cannot send some popular kinds of files, including PDFs and GIF.

Easy Fix: You will have to use a cloud-based storage app such as CloudSend or Dropbox . There are many of these available through the App Store, Google Play, and the Microsoft Store. Such a solution will let you send virtually any kind of file.

8 – WhatsApp has stopped working even though I have a good connection.

Probable Cause: WhatsApp is not installed correctly, or you do not have a good version installed.

Easy Fix: You will have to remove WhatsApp and reinstall it. Here’s how:

• Go to Settings>WhatsApp>Uninstall.

• Download the latest version of WhatsApp from Google Play, the Windows Store, or the App Store. Make sure you are using the right version of WhatsApp for your operating system. Check the WhatsApp website for the latest downloads.

• Install the latest version following the instructions.

• Make sure you do not delete your account.

9 – I cannot call contacts in other countries or regions using WhatsApp.

Probable Cause: You are not putting in the entire phone number.

Easy Fix: Make sure you put in every digit of the phone number, including the county code and area code: for example, 1-000-000-0000 for a number in the United States. Remember, WhatsApp is just like a phone; it needs the complete number for international calls. This website can tell you the code for any country.

10 – I cannot call some of my contacts.

Probable Cause: Some of your contacts are blocked.

Easy Fix: WhatsApp contains a black list that lets you block contacts. To see if a contact is blocked, go to the last conversation with that person, go to the options button, and click view contact. It should tell you if the contact is blocked and give you the option to unblock it.

Where to Get Help with WhatsApp

Unfortunately, WhatsApp’s customer service is very limited, but there is a lot of good information about the application available online. The best place to start is WhatsApp’s own website . Beyond that, there are many online forums and articles that can show you how to deal with the most common problems. You can locate them by running a simple search for terms like WhatsApp Problems.

Security is one of the biggest concerns WhatsApp users have because the solution’s record on data safety is checkered. Longtime observers know that the messaging application has a history of security breaches that dates back several years, but it has also won praise for implementing end to end encryption.

End to end encryption means that every WhatsApp message between phones is protected by an application called Textsecure, which is created by a group called Open Whisper Systems. Wired claimed that this system is “practically un-crackable” in an article last year.

Textsecure protects data by scrambling information before it leaves your device. Theoretically, the information can only be unscrambled by a special cryptographic key or code in the recipient’s phone. Okay, that’s the theory, but as we all know, any encryption can be cracked with enough time, money, effort, and resources.

Since WhatsApp has around 800 million users worldwide, some of whom are sending private information or financial data, the bad guys obviously have a strong incentive to crack it. Naturally, users will want to know if the claims about WhatsApp’s encryption are true and if it is really as secure as its proponents claim.

So How Secure Is WhatsApp Anyway?

The jury is still out on WhatsApp’s new encryption regime, which was implemented in November 2014. Even though its encryption efforts won praise, the rest of WhatsApp’s security efforts were widely criticized.

The service received a rating of two out of seven on a messaging security scorecard created by a well-respected advocacy group called the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or EFF. The Foundation gave WhatsApp a low score because its security design was poorly documented, there was no way to verify a user’s identity, and WhatsApp and its parent Facebook still possess the encryption key that can unscramble messages.

The biggest security flaw is the encryption key, which can be stolen or copied by hackers and used to access WhatsApp accounts. It is also fairly easy to fool WhatsApp users with classic hacking tactics such as Trojans (malware disguised as something else) and phishing messages, which try to gather data about users.

One major problem that WhatsApp users in a number of countries have reported is false messages that look as if they come from a friend or loved one. Users answer the message and receive malware instead of a word from somebody that they know.

Another flaw many users are not aware of is that the end to end encryption only works with certain devices, such as Android phones or iPhones. That means a message sent between two Android phones is very secure but a message sent to something like a Blackberry might not be. Messages received or sent through WhatsApp Web, the version of the app for desktops and laptops, do not appear to have end to end encryption either.

All WhatsApp messages are encrypted. When Textsecure is not available, WhatsApp uses another algorithm called RC4, which is not as secure, myce.com reported. RC4 is very hard crack because it takes some effort to decrypt the message, although it is fairly easy to crack if a hacker can get the user’s password.

Therefore it is safe to say that WhatsApp is fairly secure. The encryption is strong enough to protect it from everyday hackers but not a defense against sophisticated cyber criminals. That means WhatsApp is safe enough to send everyday messages but not any detail you really want to keep secure, such as details of financial accounts.

How to Protect Your Messages

Something to remember is that no message is completely secure. If somebody really wants to invest time and effort in cracking your messages, they probably will succeed.

Therefore the first rule of security should be not to put vital or important data such as bank account or credit card numbers or potentially incriminating secrets in messages. A good rule of thumb is if data can hurt you or make you look bad, keep it off of WhatsApp. One way to thwart hackers is to use two or more messaging services. You could use WhatsApp for everyday chat and a more secure solution for important data or business communications.

If you have to send important data, it would probably be a good idea to use a more secure messaging service. The Hacker News reported that there are a number of these highly secure messaging apps available through Google Play and the App Store that combine end to end encryption with extra protection such as secret chat features. The most popular of these include:

• Telegram: This service is considered very secure because it destroys messages right after the communication.

• Threema: This is a more secure service you will have to pay for. Many people like it because it looks and feels like WhatsApp. Threema currently costs $2.49 at the App Store, but the extra protection might be worth it.

• RedPhone: This is an Android App that provides encryption for messages and voice calls. It uses your normal phone number for an added layer of security.

• Surespot: This is a highly encrypted solution that supposedly can only be decrypted by sender and receiver. It is popular because it can support multiple identities on a single device, which provides an even higher layer of protection.

Sending Money Securely

If you wish to send money securely, there are a number of apps that can facilitate such transactions fairly safely out there. They include:

• Venmo, which is a free digital wallet that lets you transfer money to or from a bank or PayPal account quickly. It is not scam proof, but it is very secure. A big drawback is that Venmo does not work for business transactions such as purchases from stores yet.

• Square Cash, which is a slightly more sophisticated digital wallet with 128-bit encryption and a pass code. A big advantage to this solution is that it can be used with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit cards as well as bank accounts and can be used for business purposes.

• PayPal Mobile, which is an add-on to the popular digital wallet that is accepted in some businesses. It can be linked to most bank and credit card accounts.

• Apple Pay, a digital wallet created by Apple Inc. that is only available to iPhone, iWatch, and iPad users in the United States and the United Kingdom. Apple Pay is not accepted at many stores, including most large U.S. retailers, but it can be linked to most bank accounts and Visa, MasterCard, and American Express credit cards. Apple Pay offers the added protection of fingerprint encryption.

As you can see, WhatsApp encryption is fairly safe and secure, but it is not foolproof, so your data will be safest when you use a variety of solutions, including WhatsApp.

WhatsApp has become the most popular messaging solution in the world, with nearly one billion people using it. WhatsApp co-creator Jan Koum announced that the app had 900 million active users in September 2015, The Daily Express reported .

Jan Koum

Around one in seven people in the world now utilizes WhatsApp, according to a Daily Express estimate. These numbers alone show why Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg was willing to shell out $19 billion for WhatsApp last year.

WhatsApp was well ahead of its closest competitor, Facebook’s Internet Messenger, which had around 700 million users. That means Facebook’s messaging solutions now have around 1.6 billion users worldwide.

Messaging Is Now a Very Big Business

The most competitive non-Facebook app was the Chinese-based WeChat. WeChat came in third in the messaging app race, with around 600 million users, mostly in the People’s Republic. Some other popular messaging apps included:

• Tango, with around 300 million users.

• Japan’s Line, which claims to have been downloaded by 600 million people.

• India’s NimBuzz, with 150 million users.

• Viber, which had around 606 million users worldwide, according to Statista.

• Microsoft’s Skype, with around 300 million users and 500 million installs on Google Play.

• Kik, with around 200 million users, according to Statista.

As you can see, messaging is now a very big business. Yet these numbers can be deceptive because it is not clear how active these users are. Despite that, it is easy to see why tech companies and venture capital firms are willing to spend big money for messaging services. Viber is now owned by the Japanese company Rakuten, and Alibaba is a major investor in Tango.

Where Is WhatsApp the Most Popular?

The interesting thing about WhatsApp is that it is not very popular or successful in its home country, the United States. Only around 8% of Americans use WhatsApp, according to data provided by Statista.

The reason why WhatsApp is so popular and so valuable can be clearly seen in numbers from the rest of the world. These Statista statistics clearly show that WhatsApp is now the messaging solution of choice in many parts of the world, including Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia:

Percentage of WhatsApp users by country:

• South Africa – 78%
• Malaysia – 75%
• Argentina – 74%
• Singapore – 72%
• Hong Kong – 71%
• Spain – 70%
• India – 69%
• Mexico – 67%
• Italy – 62%
• The Netherlands – 61%
• Germany – 57%
• Brazil – 56%
• Saudi Arabia – 56%
• Indonesia – 52%
• Turkey – 49%

As you can see, WhatsApp seems to have universal appeal. It is popular in a wide variety of countries with very different language and cultures. What’s truly interesting is where it is not widely used.

Who Does Not Use WhatsApp

One place WhatsApp is even less well known than the United States is Japan, where its rate was 0%. WhatsApp was not very popular in South Korea or China either; only 2% of South Koreans and 4% of Chinese used it. One reason why WhatsApp is not very successful in those countries is that local solutions already have a huge share of the market.

In South Korea, around 93% of smartphone users employ a local app called KakaoTalk, CNET reported . One reason why KakaoTalk is so popular is that you can use it to buy vouchers to purchase food and services with the app. KakaoTalk is also open source, so it is possible to make unique themes on it.

Another reason why WhatsApp is not popular in some countries is that its most appealing feature is the ability to send messages, including pictures, video, and audio, between countries for free or at a low cost. That has little appeal to people that rarely send messages to other nations.

WhatsApp seems to be the most popular in countries like Spain, Mexico, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, where a lot of people regularly travel or work outside the nation. Around 34% of the people in Ireland and Great Britain used WhatsApp, while only 13% of Canadians used it, according to Statista.

Why Is WhatsApp So Popular?

There are a number of other factors fueling WhatsApp’s popularity, including its low cost and ease of use. WhatsApp seems to be most popular in less affluent countries, where many people use smartphones as their primary means of communication.

This certainly seems to be the case in South Africa, Malaysia, and Argentina, which are developing countries. Argentina in particular has been racked by serious economic problems, including inflation, that have significantly reduced the incomes of average people.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is not very popular in some richer countries, including Australia, where only 16% of people use it; Sweden, where only 10% of the nation uses it; Japan and France, where 6% of the population takes advantage of it; and the United States, where only 8% of people use it.

Many people in those nations have access to other often more sophisticated messaging solutions. They are also more likely to have access to laptop or desktop computers, which make solutions like Facebook and Skype more appealing.

Encryption Enhances WhatsApp’s Popularity

Another aspect of WhatsApp’s appeal is its high level of encryption. It offers end to end encryption that is very hard to crack. WhatsApp is so secure that in Britain Prime Minister David Cameron has been trying to get it banned because intelligence agencies have a hard time reading messages on it, The Daily Express reported .

That makes WhatsApp very appealing in nations like Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa, Malaysia, Spain, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, which have long histories of government spying on citizens. It also makes WhatsApp very popular in Hong Kong, where many people fear the Chinese government could be monitoring their communications.

The encryption also gives governments like that in China a strong reason to discourage WhatsApp use. Oppressive governments obviously do not want their citizens to have access to means of communication that can allow them to plan revolution or civil disobedience in secret.

That also makes WhatsApp somewhat less popular in nations like the United States and Germany, where there are strong legal protections for privacy. People that trust their governments are less likely to use secure solutions.

It is obvious that WhatsApp is now the most popular messaging solution in the world, and it could soon have one billion users. When that occurs, it will make Mr. Zuckerberg’s $19 billion purchase price look like a bargain.