WhatsApp is set to incorporate advertisements into its platform, as announced by Meta on Monday. These ads will appear through the status feature, which users can find in the ‘Updates’ tab. This feature allows individuals to share disappearing content in the form of text, photos, voice notes, or videos, and now it will also include sponsored content alongside personal updates from friends and family.
Meta intends to customize the advertisements based on “limited” information that includes users’ geographical location, language, followed channels, and interaction history with ads on the platform. Users have the option to modify their ad preferences via Meta’s Accounts Center if they have chosen to access this hub.
In its update, Meta stated, “We’ve been talking about our plans to build a business that does not interrupt your personal chats for years, and we believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features to work.” The company reassured users that it will “never sell or share your phone numbers to advertisers” and will not utilize users’ messages, calls, or group information to influence target ads.
This announcement comes alongside other planned enhancements to WhatsApp, such as the introduction of promoted channels accessible by clicking the Explore button to discover new channels to follow, as well as a new subscription option that allows users to receive exclusive updates from various channels.