WhatsApp incorporates advertising on its platform

Meta-owned WhatsApp announced Monday that it will introduce advertising for its users, marking a significant change for the messaging platform, which had been largely ad-free since its launch, according to AFP. The changes only affect the News tab, which houses the Channels and Status features, and not personal chats, the company said.

The messaging app's CEO had denied in 2023 the content of a report claiming the platform was considering introducing advertising to boost its revenue. Unlike Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms, WhatsApp has maintained minimal advertising since Meta acquired it in 2014.

Until now, the platform's advertising consisted primarily of messages promoting WhatsApp Business to registered customers and some status ads in select markets. The company announced it will roll out three new fundraising features exclusively in the Channels and State sections, used by 1.5 billion people daily.

The company made it clear that those who only use WhatsApp for personal messaging won't have to see ads. "We've been talking for years about our plans to build a business that doesn't interrupt your personal chats , and we believe the News tab is the right place," WhatsApp said.

The new features include paid channel subscriptions, promoted channels in the Explore section, and ads within Statuses, WhatsApp's version of Instagram Stories. WhatsApp emphasized that the new advertising features are designed with privacy safeguards in mind.

"I want to be really clear about one thing: Your personal messages, calls, and statuses will remain end-to-end encrypted. This means no one, not even us, can see or hear them, and they can't be used for advertising," explained Nikila Srinivasan , Meta's vice president of product management.

The company pledged to never sell or share users' phone numbers with advertisers and announced that personal messages, calls, and group membership will not influence ad targeting. "To show ads in Statuses or Channels, we'll use basic information like your country or city, your device's language, and your activity on the Updates tab," Srinivasan explained. WhatsApp has 2 billion monthly active users.