Social Media platform WhatsApp has surpassed two billion active users since its introduction in 2009.
In a blog post announcing the milestone, WhatsApp said it was committed to its encryption model and keeping user messages private.
“Private conversations that once were only possible face-to-face can now take place across great distances through instant chats and video calling,
“There are so many significant and special moments that take place over WhatsApp and we are humbled and honored to reach this milestone.
“We know that the more we connect, the more we have to protect. As we conduct more of our lives online, protecting our conversations is more important than ever.” The firm posted.
The encrypted messaging service was bought by Facebook for US$19-billion in 2014.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has previously said the social network’s goal was to become more private and wants to introduce end-to-end encryption to more areas of its family of apps, which also includes Messenger and Instagram.
However WhatsApp said it believes reducing encryption would be a greater threat to public safety.
“Strong encryption is a necessity in modern life. We will not compromise on security because that would make people less safe,
“For even more protection, we work with top security experts, employ industry-leading technology to stop misuse as well as provide controls and ways to report issues — without sacrificing privacy.” The company said.
