Facebook has bought WhatsApp, a messaging app that helps users keep in touch with their loved ones, for $9 billion.
The deal, announced Tuesday, is the second-largest deal for a messaging service in the world, after Twitter bought WhatsApp in July for $22.5 billion.
WhatsApp has a mobile app and is used by more than 60 million people worldwide.
It was founded in 2008 by an engineer and a programmer.
It offers video chat and messaging for more than 3 billion users.
The company has grown to be the largest in the social network industry.
In 2017, it reported $2.9 billion in revenue, according to its most recent quarterly earnings report.
The purchase gives Facebook a market value of $2 billion and gives it the ability to buy WhatsApp for as much as $19.6 billion, the company said.
Facebook says the deal will give it the opportunity to grow its WhatsApp business by more people.
Whatapp’s app features pictures, text messages and voice chat.
The company is currently available in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Sweden and France.