Meta introduces advertisements for Status updates within WhatsApp.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has announced plans to monetize the popular messaging app by introducing advertisements and paid features, while maintaining the privacy and ad-free experience of personal chats.
The new features will roll out gradually over the coming months, starting with ads in the Updates tab. This section, used by 1.5 billion people each day, hosts Status updates and Channels, where users share ephemeral updates and connect with their favourite creators and businesses. Ads will appear between user-generated Status updates, creating a natural, less intrusive ad experience separated from messaging.
WhatsApp Channels admins will also have the ability to pay to promote their channels in WhatsApp’s directory, helping them grow their audience. Additionally, channel administrators can offer exclusive content for a monthly fee, with Meta taking a 10% commission on these subscriptions, providing a new revenue stream aligned with creator-focused platforms.
To preserve privacy, WhatsApp maintains its end-to-end encryption for all personal chats, calls, and contacts, ensuring that Meta cannot access the content of private messages or calls. Ads and monetization features are carefully confined to non-private spaces like the Updates tab, ensuring user conversations remain ad-free and private.
Regarding targeted advertising, Meta uses limited data such as user location (country or city), language, followed channels, and interactions with updates to serve relevant ads in Status and Channels. For users who link WhatsApp to Meta accounts, additional ad preferences and cross-platform data might be used, but never by compromising the privacy of encrypted personal chats.
Meta's move to monetize WhatsApp is part of a broader strategy, positioning the platform to play a more prominent role in its broader business messaging and advertising ecosystem. The company has clarified that it will never sell or share users' phone numbers with advertisers.
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[1] https://www.meta.com/whatsapp/business/ [2] https://www.meta.com/privacy/whatsapp/ [3] https://www.meta.com/ads/ad-targeting/ [4] https://www.meta.com/business/creators/ [5] https://www.meta.com/newsroom/company-announcements/meta-launches-whatsapp-business-api-for-small-businesses-worldwide/
*This article was generated by a large language model and has not been reviewed or fact-checked by a human editor.*
The new WhatsApp features, including ads and paid content, will be introduced progressively, with ads appearing in the Updates tab where business updates and creators' content are shared. This move by Meta serves as part of a broader strategy, positioning WhatsApp to play a significant role in its business messaging and advertising ecosystem. Meanwhile, Meta will uphold privacy by keeping end-to-end encryption for personal chats and only using limited data for targeted advertising.
