ChronoFive
Play today’s puzzle
Setting the scene
End-to-end encryption promises arrived after Facebook acquisition jitters, positioning WhatsApp as a privacy story amid ad-driven social apps.
What happened
Business API tiers later turned chats into storefronts and support queues.
Why it still matters
Policy changes on data sharing sparked user revolts and rival migrations to Signal. Memorable detail: Koum's Soviet-era immigrant backstory became part of the founding myth in tech press.
Background
WhatsApp became default communication across much of Africa, India, and Latin America, especially where SMS bundles were expensive.