Editor
Celine Low chevron_right
Meta is finally rolling out advertisements within its wildly popular messaging service. Before you panic about sponsored content popping up in your family group chat, take a deep breath: Meta promises these ads won't be interrupting your private conversations. Instead, they're strategically placed in a section you might already visit daily.
Where You'll See Ads
Advertisements appear exclusively in WhatsApp's "Updates" tab. This is the section of the app that's separate from your personal inbox and private chats, and it's already a bustling hub, attracting 1.5 billion visitors every single day, according to Meta on a blog post yesterday, 16 June.
Specifically, you'll start seeing sponsored content within Status. While you're catching up to what your friends have been up to, a sponsored post will pop up in between. Additionally, advertisers can also pay to promote their WhatsApp Channels, giving them prominent placement within the Updates tab to help brands and celebrities reach a wider audience.
Ads Have Been A Long Time Coming
Advertising has always been a tricky subject for WhatsApp, mainly because of the app's promise of a private messaging experience. In fact, co-founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton were famously against ads on the platform, even pledging they'd never sell them within WhatsApp. They ultimately left Meta in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Despite this history, Meta has been eyeing advertising opportunities on WhatsApp for years. The core challenge has always been balancing the drive for revenue with WhatsApp's strong commitment to user privacy. Unlike Instagram and Facebook, where ads often target users based on their personal information and Browse history, WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted. This fundamental privacy feature sets it apart from Meta's other ad-heavy platforms.
The reason for this current shift is clear: Meta is pouring massive investments into ambitious long-term projects like artificial intelligence and the "metaverse". Tapping into a new revenue stream from WhatsApp's colossal user base is a logical (and perhaps necessary) step to help fund these significant endeavours.
What Meta Says It Won't Do
Understandably, privacy is a huge concern whenever ads enter a personal messaging space. However, Meta has ensured your personal information such as phone numbers and messages will not be shared.
"We will never sell or share your phone number to advertisers. Your personal messages, calls and groups you are in will not be used to determine the ads you may see," Meta explained.
Instead, Meta says it will tailor ads using "limited" information, such as your country or city, language, the Channels you follow, and how you interact with ads within the platform. If you've opted into Meta’s Accounts Center and linked your accounts, your ad preferences from Facebook or Instagram could also be used, but only if you've explicitly given permission.
The company insists that if you only use WhatsApp for private chats with friends and family, your experience will remain completely unchanged.
More Ways to Explore (and Pay) on WhatsApp
The introduction of ads in the Updates tab isn't the only change brewing. Meta is also rolling out:
- Promoted Channels: When you hit the "Explore" button to find new Channels to follow, you'll start seeing promoted ones, giving Channel admins a new way to boost their visibility.
- Channel Subscriptions: Soon, you'll be able to support your favourite Channels by subscribing for a monthly fee, which will grant you access to exclusive updates.
These new features began their global rollout on 16 June, but it will take some time for all users to start seeing them.
Stay updated with ProductNation on here, Instagram & TikTok as well.
News sources: The Straits Times, The Verge
Read more related news here: