Ads Coming to WhatsApp: A New Era for Your Updates Tab
WhatsApp to Integrate Advertisements within Its Application
Great news, chats aficionados! WhatsApp, owned by Meta since 2014, is hopping aboard the ad-train. But fear not, your private missives will remain untouched. The ads will make their debut in the "Updates" section, where you can access subscribed channels and a bunch of your buddies' status updates. Don't worry, Meta's got your back; they've got zero interest in messing with your personal messages, calls, or status updates.
Unlike its sibling platforms, Facebook and Instagram, WhatsApp has managed to avoid ads until now. But with a whopping 2 billion monthly users worldwide, it's no surprise that Meta's been eyeing that revenue potential for a while[1].
As for those ads, they're going to show up on the Updates tab via the Status feature, just like on Instagram Stories[2][3]. No worries, they won't disrupt your private chats. You'll likely stumble upon them after breezing past a few Status updates, much like those pop-ups you come across during your Insta-browse[2][3].
Now, for the scary part, privacy. Meta's Nikila Srinivasan squashed the rumors, ensuring users that your personal messages, calls, and status updates remain encrypted. And, happily, they won't sell your phone number to creepy advertisers or use your personal messages, calls, or group memberships to personalize ads[1].
For future ads in the "Updates" tab, they'll be using some basic info, like your country or city, the language of your device, and your activities within the 'Updates' tab[2]. No specific timeline's been shared yet, but they plan to roll out ads gradually over the next few months[2].
Sources:
- ntv.de
- mli/AFP
- Meta Platforms
- Advertising
- Messenger
The Commission has also been involved in the preparation of the draft directive that may regulate the use of user data for advertising purposes in the business sector, including technology companies like Meta Platforms. In light of WhatsApp's impending introduction of ads in the Updates tab, the focus on data protection and privacy is increasingly important for users' personal messages, calls, and status updates.
