Facebook has just purchased Giphy, the popular GIF hosting platform. In a post on the blog, GIPHY said it will be integrated into the Instagram team.
While both companies have confirmed the deal, they have not yet disclosed the amount. However, a report from Axios suggests that Facebook would have acquired Giphy for around $400 million.
GIPHY API is quite popular among social networks. Facebook already uses it in its other products such as Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp for GIF search. Twitter also uses (used?) GIPHY services for its GIF search function.
In a statement, Vishal Shah, vice president of Instagram product, said that GIPHY will continue to manage its library and that developers will have the same access to the GIPHY API as before.
“GIPHY will continue to manage its library (including its global content library) and we look forward to further investing in its technology and relationships with content and API partners.”
What changes for Giphy?
For now little. People will still be able to upload GIFs, developers and partners will continue to have the same access to the GIPHY API, and the creative community of GIPHY will still be able to create quality content.
Facebook is coming: lock the data
With Zuckerberg's move to the company, the usual privacy issues also arise, not least because Giphy requires developers to give access to the device's tracking ID.
Does this mean that gifs embedded in our instant messages will become Facebook tracking mechanisms? Some speculate that the purchase is mainly for this purpose.
Facebook goes shopping
No more platforms and services acquired by Facebook in recent years. Some valued, others suppressed, others still kept quiet and ready to emerge. Different technologies in the field of virtual reality (Oculus) or the human-computer interface (CTRL Labs). What about Giphy? How will it end? Integrated, enhanced or deleted?
