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Privacy is still important to us, says upstart Onavo after Facebook gobble

Data-crushing biz grabbed for $150m+, hands Zuck first office in Israel

Facebook has acquired mobile analytics app maker Onavo, bagging its first office in Israel as part of the deal.

The gobbled upstart felt the need to insist that it "remains committed to privacy" when announcing the sale. Palo Alto-based Onavo revealed over the weekend that it had been bought by the social networking giant, but it didn't disclose details of the act. However, Israeli newspaper Calcalist claimed that Facebook spent up to $200m on the analytics firm.

The three-year-old biz - which makes apps for tracking mobile internet use and compressing downloading data - said its software would continue to be touted as a "standalone brand" by Facebook.

It also tracks app usage for developers, and reassured users that it "remains committed to the privacy of people who use our application".

It added that the Mark Zuckerberg-led social networking giant would be taking over Onavo's Tel-Aviv office and turning it into the first Facebook office in Israel.

"We’re excited to join [Facebook's] team, and hope to play a critical role in reaching one of Internet.org’s most significant goals – using data more efficiently, so that more people around the world can connect and share," Onavo co-founders Guy Rosen and Roi Tiger wrote in a blog post, referring to the social network's project to get the five billion folks currently offline onto the web. ®

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