The old saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. Apparently to Facebook, it’s worth much more.
Facebook is spending $1 billion to buy the photo-sharing company Instagram in the social network’s largest acquisition ever.
Instagram lets people apply filters to photos they snap with their mobile devices and share them with friends and strangers. Some of the filters make the photos look as if they’ve been taken in the 1970s or on Polaroid cameras.
“This is an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. “We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all.”
The big deal had people on social media buzzing. Global News looks at the reaction.
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With files from The Associated Press
Now trending: Facebook buys Instagram
Storified by GlobalNews.ca · Mon, Apr 09 2012 17:34:00
Facebook bought out Instagram….no surprise.Josh Wheat
@instagram Congrats!Joe Patti
With Instagram selling for $1bil & Draw Something selling for $200mm, why would any innovator bother trying to solve real world problems.Tom Krieglstein
Some people are mocking the deal, and specifically, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. His name was also trending on Twitter on Monday.
I feel like Mark Zuckerberg has never been punched in the face. You know whats better than a billion dollars? A billion punches to your faceSage Francis
Facebook buys Instagram for a billion dollars? No amount of money will get you magical talking portraits, Mark Zuckerberg. Just give up.Professor Snape
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i feel like mark zuckerberg is that guy in high school who could never get a girl and didn’t have many friends.Jameelah
I just went to make another cup of coffee and it turns out Mark Zuckerberg owns my kitchen now I guess.Kiala
Instagram knows what’s cooler than a million dollars.Aaron Ash
Right after buying Instagram for $1 billion, Mark Zuckerberg offered to buy Google+ for “7 dollars cash, take it or leave it.”Joe Schmitt
why are people always logging on to my facebook in random states??? mark zuckerberg is a dirty whore #imontohimClare Lynch
Now Instagram will be loaded with poor people. First they let non-iPhone users use the app, now Facebook people. Facebook people are dirty.Jack Black
BREAKING: Millions of hipsters leave Instagram. State it has become too mainstream now. Returning to MySpace, ironically.Steven Amiri
Not everyone approved of the deal.
Please @twitter, add level of service that you charge money for. See that your users are willing to before you sell out like @instagram did.Michael Edlund
Some people took aim at Facebook for forking out big bucks for a free app. Funny Or Die created the fake quote below, which only triggered more jokes.
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“Using Instagram for free isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Paying a billion dollars for it.” -Mark ZuckerbergFunny Or Die
Facebook just bought Instagram for $1 billion. Idiots! They could’ve downloaded it for free.Leslie Chow Parody
Mark Zuckerberg to @Instagram: “You know what’s cooler than a million dollars? A billion dollars.”Phill Ryu
That awkward moment when you hear that Facebook bought Instagram for a billion dollars, when they could’ve just downloaded it for free.That Awkward Moment
Unconfirmed reports say Mark zuckerberg is now also considering buying minesweeper for $3 billion. #instagramJames Styan
All this publicity may bring Instagram some new users…
whats instagram???Say Word??
…or not.
Proud to say I don’t have an instagram and don’t want one #slowlyfading RJ
Facebook to pay $1 billion to buy Instagram…which was named the most annoying type of photos on Facebook. #ironyJason Mack
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