WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum quits over alleged privacy intrusions by Facebook

Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg also commented on Koum’s Facebook post.

Jan Koum. Image: AFP

NEW DELHI: WhatsApp co-founder, CEO, and Facebook board member Jan Koum announced on Monday that he will be leaving Whatsapp. On his Facebook post, he wrote “It is time for me to move on . . . I’m taking some time off to do things I enjoy outside of technology, such as collecting rare air-cooled Porsches, working on my cars and playing ultimate frisbee,” In response, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg commented on Koum’s Facebook post “I will miss working so closely with you. I’m grateful for everything you’ve done to help connect the world, and for everything you’ve taught me, including about encryption and its ability to take power from centralized systems and put it back in people’s hands. Those values will always be at the heart of WhatsApp.” It is alleged that Jan Koum will be leaving following disputes over the popular messaging service’s strategy and Facebook’s attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption.