> theoretically they could have planned to turn it into a subscription service (pretty unlikely, but who knows…) WhatsApp originally was a subscription service

> theoretically they could have planned to turn it into a subscription service (pretty unlikely, but who knows…) WhatsApp originally was a subscription service; when I first signed up, it cost $1 per year. They dropped the fee in 2016[1], and now Facebook is trying[2] to go back to the subscription model for business. 1. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-to-go-completely-free-and-drop-annual-subscription-price-a6818971.html https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/ne... 2. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/22/facebook-to-charge-for-whatsapp-business-services.html https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/22/facebook-to-charge-for-whats...