Google in talks to acquire WhatsApp for $1 billion: Report
Rumours have it that mobile messaging service WhatsApp may be Google's next big buy. Digital Trends is quoting "inside sources" as saying that WhatsApp is "playing hardball" and eyeing an acquisition price that's "close to $1 billion". The negotiations reportedly began four or five weeks ago. If this is true and the deal does come through, Google will have a force to reckon with on its side in the mobile messaging space. It's been rumoured for quite some time now that a mobile messaging service would be the next big buy in the mobile space. It was rumoured in December last year that Facebook was in talks to acquire WhatsApp. However, multiple sources soon informed AllThingsD that Facebook would not be acquiring WhatsApp. WhatsApp also told AllThingsD that the article was a rumour and not factually accurate.The report notes that Google "can't afford the time to rebrand and rebuild a competitive messaging app at the risk of entering the ...