This archive report was first published on 24 September 2019.
On September 24, 2019, Kik Messenger, a WhatsApp rival with hundreds of millions of active users worldwide, announced its shutdown. The company cited a legal dispute with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as the reason for the decision.
Kik's chief executive, Ted Livingstone, stated in a blog post that the decision was forced upon him by the SEC dispute. He emphasized that the company's cryptocurrency, Kin, would continue to operate despite the shutdown of the messaging service.
Livingstone acknowledged that the shutdown would impact over 100 employees and their families, who had dedicated their careers to Kik and Kin for over a decade. The company hopes to cut its overheads by 85% by shrinking to 19 employees, which would give it a better chance of winning its legal fight with the SEC.
Launched in 2009, Kik Messenger has around 300 million users worldwide, with most being teenagers. The app's appeal lies in its ability to register and use it without providing a phone number or other credentials, unlike WhatsApp.
However, Kik Messenger has also been involved in controversy, with a BBC investigation in 2018 suggesting it had featured in 1,100 UK child sexual abuse cases in the past five years.
