Meta is finally bringing ads to WhatsApp, 11 years after the social media giant acquired the platform, whose founders avoided advertising.
The messaging app, acquired for $19 billion by Meta, is introducing three new ad formats worldwide, which have also raised concerns over user privacy. However, the company has assured that the ads won’t be popping up in private messages.
Meta will keep the ads tucked in a new corner of WhatsApp
The company is keeping a clear line between users’ chats and its new business tools. Messages remain end-to-end encrypted, which means no one, not even WhatsApp, can read them. Ads won’t be targeted using people’s conversations either.
Instead, WhatsApp will rely on basic info like user country, city, language, and how one interacts with the app, such as which updates have been viewed or followed channels. If a user links their account to Facebook or Instagram, they can expect more personalised suggestions.
So, where exactly will these ads live? In a place called the “Updates” tab, tucked at the bottom of the app. According to the company, it is a space that already hosts things like status posts and channel content, almost similar to what users see on Instagram Stories.
Businesses can now pay to promote their updates in that section, hoping to reel in new followers. Some may also start charging subscriptions for bonus content, with WhatsApp taking a 10% cut from what they earn. Depending on the size of the business, there might be additional app store fees on top of that.
Companies can also buy ad spots that look like status updates. If a user taps on one, it’ll open a direct chat with the business. Think of it as a smarter, smoother version of the old “Click here to learn more” banner ad.
Since it was acquired in 2014 in a transaction that raised scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the messaging app has continued to grow, but unlike Instagram, Facebook, and recently Threads, WhatsApp has never allowed ads. Its co-founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, did not hide their contempt for the advertising industry.
According to CNBC, the two left Facebook after they clashed with executives who were eager to flood the app with advertising and other practices they disliked.
Is Meta giving users an option?
Matt Navarra, a social media analyst, says this is all part of Meta’s plan to finally make WhatsApp pay off. “They’re laying the groundwork to turn it into a serious moneymaker,” he said.
But it’s not without risks. Especially in places like the UK and Europe, where people still treat WhatsApp as a pure messaging service, users may not be thrilled to see it start resembling Facebook.
“If it starts to feel noisy or like just another ad platform, people could push back hard.”
Navarra.
WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart insists that if a user is just using the app for chatting, they will barely notice any changes.
“If you don’t want to follow channels or see ads, you don’t have to,” he said. “Your inbox stays the same.”
Still, there are a few things one cannot change. The Updates tab itself, the button for Meta’s AI chatbot, and the channel section? They are here to stay. Cathcart says letting users remove too many features would just make things messy.
“We don’t want to create an app overloaded with settings,” he added.
That said, he acknowledged that feedback, especially about the AI tool being permanently visible, is something the company is keeping an eye on. Interestingly, the Updates tab is not all that popular in the UK yet, but it is catching on in other parts of the world.
By gradually rolling out these changes, Meta is clearly trying to keep users comfortable while nudging WhatsApp toward becoming a revenue-generating platform.
While Meta does not give the specific WhatsApp sales, analysts have previously estimated its revenue to be between $500 million and $1 billion from charging businesses for services and tools that enable them to message customers on the app.
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