WhatsApp has announced a major change to its platform—ads will soon appear in the app’s “Updates” tab, a feature accessed by over 1.5 billion users daily. The move, confirmed on Monday, marks a new step by parent company Meta Platforms to monetize the widely-used messaging service.
The company was quick to assure users that personal messages and calls will remain ad-free and encrypted. In a blog post, WhatsApp stated:
“The personal messaging experience isn’t changing. Messages, calls, and statuses are end-to-end encrypted and won’t be used to show ads.”
Break from Founders’ Vision
The new policy represents a shift from WhatsApp’s original ad-free promise made by its founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, who launched the platform in 2009. Both left the company after Facebook (now Meta) acquired it in 2014.
How Ads Will Work
WhatsApp says ads will be targeted using non-private user data such as age, language, city or country, channels followed, and engagement with previous ads. It emphasized that private chats, group memberships, and calls will not be used for ad targeting.
Additional Monetization Tools
Alongside ads, WhatsApp is rolling out two new monetization features:
Paid Channels: Channel owners can now offer exclusive content via monthly subscriptions.
Channel Promotion: Businesses can pay to boost visibility of their channels within the app.
These features reflect Meta’s broader strategy, as the tech giant continues to rely heavily on advertising. In 2024, Meta reported $164.5 billion in revenue, with over $160 billion generated from ads.
While the introduction of ads has stirred mixed reactions globally, WhatsApp insists its commitment to privacy remains unchanged.
