The GIF creation and sharing platform, which claims to have 700 million daily users, would have been bought by the social network for some 400 million USD.
Facebook announced Friday that it has purchased the Giphy platform, which allows you to search, share and create GIFs, these animated images that are all the rage on the internet. The social media leader said he wants to integrate Giphy's huge library with Instagram, his photo and video sharing service. According to the Axios website, the transaction amounts to around $ 400 million.
Facebook says that half of Giphy's current traffic is already coming from social media applications, with Instagram alone generating 25% of traffic. The Californian giant also assured not to foresee any major change to the Giphy site.
"People will be able to continue downloading GIFs, developers and partners will continue to have the same access to the Giphy programming interface, and the Giphy community of creators will be able to continue creating high-quality content," said Facebook.
Viral contents
Founded in 2013 and based in New York, Giphy is one of the main GIF sharing platforms, claiming more than 700 million daily users.
Its diverse content, which ranges from dogs wearing sunglasses to the expressive reactions of celebrities, can be shared directly on various social networks other than Facebook, including Twitter, Snapchat and TikTok.
"The scope of our mission is probably a little wider, but the goal remains the same," reacted Giphy in a press release. "We always wanted to make the way you express yourself funnier, more exciting ... and maybe just a little more bizarre," added the company.