Say Goodbye to the Ad-Free Experience: WhatsApp to Roll Out Ads
Messaging Service to Display Advertisements in Coming Days - Messenger is introducing advertising content for users to view.
Gearing up for a significant shift, the renowned messaging platform, WhatsApp, has announced its intention to debut ads within its service. Since being acquired by Meta in 2014, the app has managed to keep its user base ad-free. However, that era may soon be a distant memory.
To begin with, ads will be confined to the "Updates" section, a popular feature that attracts roughly 1.5 billion daily visitors. The ads will help users discover new businesses and engage in discussions about their products or services directly in the status.
Personal Chats Remain Intact
Rest assured, individual users need not worry about their personal conversations, status updates, and calls, as they will remain end-to-end encrypted. No external access, not even WhatsApp's, will be granted to private messages. Furthermore, users' phone numbers will not be shared with advertisers.
However, Meta or WhatsApp does make use of user data to shape ads in the "Status" and "Channels" sections. Information such as location, language, followed channels, and interactions with ads contribute to this process. For those who have linked their WhatsApp account with Instagram or Facebook, additional data will be examined, and ad preferences from other Meta accounts will also be taken into account [1][3].
Channel Subscriptions and Promotions in the Works
It has been reported that WhatsApp will soon implement a form of "channel subscriptions," allowing users to access exclusive content on subscribed channels for a monthly fee. Additionally, individual channels can be promoted. These changes, expected to roll out globally in the near future, may also include the promotion of channel subscriptions [1][2].
- Smartphone
- Ads
- Messages
- Business
- Meta Platforms
[1] TechCruch - WhatsApp is rolling out ads in Status: Will they be monetizing those golden eggs?[2] The Financial Express - WhatsApp is testing ads on Android, iOS[3] The Verge - WhatsApp to introduce ads in group chats and status updates next year[4] CNBC - WhatsApp introducing ads in its Status feed targeted to user interests, but privacy concerns persist[5] The Washington Post - WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption explained: What it means for your privacy and security
The Commission's communication on the implementation of the European Union's action plan for the environment (2007-2013) may find synergy in Meta Platforms' approach as they both aim to foster growth, considering the impending introduction of ads on WhatsApp smartphones, a business strategy for monetizing the platform. Conversely, user privacy remains protected, as personal messages, calls, and details continue to remain encrypted, shielded from advertisers and external access.
