WhatsApp? Service down, days after Facebook deal

February 23, 2014 10:49

WhatsApp's 450 million worldwide users were unable to access the smartphone free-messaging service, three days after Facebook declared it was lavishing up to $19 billion on it.

"Sorry we currently experiencing server issues. We hope to be back up and recovered shortly," WhatsApp said in a message on Twitter that was retweeted more than 25,000 times in just a few hours and provoked ridicule because it comes so soon after Facebook's hefty acquisition.

Yesterday, some WhatsApp users found they were unable to connect to the app, while others complained their messages were not going through.

WhatsApp has not indicated how long the outage would last or when it began.

However, the specialist website techcrunch.com suggested the problem might be down to "a surge of signups and usage that has overloaded its servers" after the publicity the app garnered after Facebook's announcement on Wednesday.

Facebook is betting huge on mobile with the eye-popping cash-and-stock deal for WhatsApp, which was only started five years ago but has quickly grown as a free alternative to text messages.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

EC books Tejasvi Surya for seeking votes on grounds of religion

A case was booked against Bharatiya Janata Party MP and Bangalore South Candidate Tejasvi Surya for allegedly posting a video on a social media platform and soliciting votes on the grounds of religion, the Election Commission said on...

Calculated call in RCB's win over SRH

RCB next takes on Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Sunday before returning home against the same side on May 4.

SC seeks EC reply on fresh poll if NOTA gets majority in a constituency

The top court issued notice to the Election Commission on the PIL filed by author, activist and motivational speaker Shiv Khera.

All you need to know about VVPATs

To enhance transparency and verifiability in the poll process, the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 were amended in 2013 to introduce the use of VVPAT machines. They were first used in the by-election to the Noksen assembly seat in Nagaland.

Cong suspends Surat candidate Kumbhani for 6 years, suspects BJP ties

A statement from the Congress said the party's disciplinary committee decided to suspend Kumbhani after a thorough discussion, adding it had come to the conclusion that the nomination form was rejected due to gross negligence on his part...