WhatsApp has announced plans to begin showing advertisements in its updates tab, which houses channels and status.
In a statement on Monday, June 16, WhatsApp said it will also introduce paid channel subscriptions and promoted content.
“Today we’re introducing some new features for our Updates tab, which is home to both Channels and Status. We’ve worked over the last two years to make this tab the place for you to discover something new on WhatsApp and it’s now used by 1.5 billion people a day.
"We’re encouraged by the enthusiasm and also want to help admins, organizations, and businesses grow on WhatsApp," the statement read.
According to WhatsApp, following the rollout, users will be able to subscribe to their favorite channels for a monthly fee to access exclusive updates.
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Additionally, channel admins will have the option to promote their content to boost visibility and reach a wider audience.
Further, ads will begin appearing in status, offering businesses the opportunity to showcase products or services.
WhatsApp assured users that the features will be confined strictly to the updates tab and will not affect personal messaging.
"These new features will appear only on the Updates tab, away from your personal chats. This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all,” the statement added.
Addressing privacy concerns, WhatsApp reiterated its commitment to encryption and data protection.
"Like everything we do at WhatsApp, we’ve built these features in the most private way possible. Your personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one (not even us) can see or hear them," the statement continued.
To ensure that advertisements are relevant to users, WhatsApp said it will rely on limited data such as users’ location, language preferences, the channels they follow, and their interactions with the ads they encounter
Users who have linked WhatsApp to their Meta Accounts Center may also see ads informed by their preferences across Meta platforms.
However, the company assured users that sensitive data will remain protected.
"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.
“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 statement concluded.
