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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsYes—Imgur was acquired. Imgur announced on September 27, 2021, that MediaLab had bought the image-sharing service. “The owner of Kik, Genius, and WorldStarHipHop” was headline shorthand for MediaLab’s internet-brand portfolio, not the name of a separate buyer. The purchase price and detailed financial terms were not disclosed.
Who bought Imgur?
MediaLab acquired Imgur. Imgur’s own announcement described MediaLab as a company behind services and brands including Whisper, Kik, WorldStarHipHop, Amino, and Genius. Read the announcement at Imgur’s September 27, 2021 post.
That means the commonly repeated wording is imprecise if it suggests that Kik, Genius, or WorldStarHipHop bought Imgur individually. Those names identified MediaLab for readers; MediaLab was the acquiring company. Later legal documents also use the name MediaLab.AI.
When did the acquisition happen?
The transaction belongs to 2021, not 2026:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| September 27, 2021 | Imgur published its acquisition announcement. |
| September 28, 2021 | Ohio University published a contemporaneous report about the deal and Imgur founder Alan Schaaf. |
The university’s account is available at Ohio University.
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What is MediaLab?
MediaLab is best understood as an internet holding company and operator of online services, rather than a single consumer app. Contemporary reporting noted its ownership of properties such as Kik and Whisper; TechCrunch reported MediaLab’s acquisition of Kik in October 2019 at this report.
Descriptions of MediaLab’s strategy should be treated as analysis, not as a confirmed explanation of its internal plans. Nieman Journalism Lab summarized contemporaneous coverage characterizing MediaLab as acquiring established online communities, at Nieman Lab.
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How much did MediaLab pay?
No verified purchase price was publicly disclosed in Imgur’s announcement or the contemporaneous coverage reviewed. A report at Slashdot specifically said the acquisition terms were not disclosed.
Imgur’s historical user and traffic figures cannot be used to calculate a valuation. In its announcement, Imgur said that it had reached about 100 million monthly unique users and more than 2 billion daily image views by 2013, and described an audience of roughly 300 million people globally at the time of the announcement. These are Imgur’s own historical claims, not independently audited current metrics.
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What did Imgur say would change?
Imgur said it selected MediaLab for its resources and shared services. The company said the arrangement would support:
- More engineering and community investment.
- Faster product development.
- New features and creator tools.
- Allowing the Imgur team to focus on community-powered entertainment.
Those were announced intentions, not guarantees that every proposed investment or feature was delivered.
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- This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable
- The available storage capacity may vary.
What does the acquisition mean for Imgur users?
Imgur remained a distinct service
The acquisition did not mean Imgur was renamed Kik, folded into Genius, or shut down. MediaLab’s later terms of service identify Imgur among the services covered by MediaLab. The same document does not establish a promise of permanent hosting or uninterrupted availability.
Content and account rules still matter
MediaLab’s terms reserve rights to remove content, suspend accounts, or discontinue some or all services, subject to the terms and applicable law. These are legal-policy provisions, not evidence that a shutdown was planned.
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Public sharing has consequences
Content posted through MediaLab services may be publicly displayed and may be accessed, downloaded, or shared through third-party services. Users should review the applicable terms and privacy language rather than assume that acquisition alone changed a particular privacy or moderation rule.
Privacy policies can change separately
MediaLab’s privacy policy, updated June 10, 2025, lists Genius, Kik, Worldstar, and Amino among its services: view the policy. A policy listing is evidence of the services covered by that document; it is not proof that every brand has identical operations or that all 2021 arrangements remain unchanged.
What the headline gets right—and wrong
- Right: Imgur really was acquired, and MediaLab was associated with Kik, Genius, and WorldStarHipHop.
- Wrong or misleading: Saying “Kik bought Imgur” implies that Kik itself was the buyer.
- Missing: The event was announced on September 27, 2021, and the price was not disclosed.
- Unproven: Claims that the deal guaranteed free service forever, caused a specific privacy change, or put user images at immediate risk.
The Bottom Line
Imgur was acquired by MediaLab on September 27, 2021. Kik, Genius, and WorldStarHipHop were portfolio references—not the buyer—and no public purchase price was disclosed.
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