WhatsApp Is Officially Getting Ads. Here's What Changes

WhatsApp is rolling out ads on the world's most popular messaging app with its parent company, Meta, announcing the move on Monday (Jun 16). The ads will not be shown inside the private chats, albeit the Updates tab, where users upload their status and explore various channels. Akin to Instagram, where users see ads after a few stories, WhatsApp users will be served ads in a similar fashion.

As per WhatsApp, the Updates tab is used by 1.5 billion people every day across the globe, highlighting the significant monetisation potential.

“We've been talking about our plans to build a business that does not interrupt your personal chats for years and we believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features to work,” Meta said.

"These new features will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats. This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all," the company added.

Apart from placing ads in status stories, WhatsApp will also be earning through Channel subscriptions and Channel promotion. The company said these subscription payments will be facilitated by app stores.

WhatsApp will be using user data such as country/city, language and the channels they are following to push the ads.

"For people that have chosen to add WhatsApp to Accounts Center, we'll also use your ad preferences and info from across your Meta accounts."

Social media reacts

Reacting to the announcement, social media users slammed Meta for taking away what made the app popular in the first place.

"Stop the enshittification of WhatsApp!" said one user while another added: "Luckily, it's on a tab I never use. If they start to enshittyfy messages, I'm out at the first ad I see."

A third commented: "The moral of the story: Never trust the Zuck. Meta/Facebook promised to never add advertising to WhatsApp when they acquired the app for $19 billion."

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No ads promise broken

In the backdrop of Meta introducing ads, a 2012 blog by WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum has surfaced, where he promised that the app would never show ads.

"We want WhatsApp to be the product that keeps you awake... and that you reach for in the morning. No one jumps up from a nap and runs to see an advertisement," wrote Mr Koum.

"Remember, when advertising is involved you the user are the product," he added.

When Meta acquired WhatsApp in 2014, there were concerns about the platform's future and the privacy of its users. 11 years after the acquisition, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has finally found a way to push ads into what has largely been a clutter-free and simple messaging app.