EU expected to approve Facebook's bid for WhatsApp

European Union (EU) regulators will reportedly approve Facebook’s $19bn bid for mobile messaging service Whatsapp.

A deal would mark the largest in Facebook’s history, extending its supremacy over the social media market.

"It's unconditional clearance," a source told Reuters, declining to be named because the decision by the European Commission is not yet public.

It is understood the Commission has been persuaded that the deal had no anti-competitive effect so concessions were unnecessary.

Commission spokesman Antoine Colombani declined to comment. The body has set an a 3 October deadline for its decision.