Hot Take WhatsApp Introduces Ads in Status Updates, Promoted Channels, and Channel Subscriptions

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

WhatsApp is currently the rare social app from Meta not to be filled with ads, but that’s about to change. Today, the WhatsApp team announced that the app’s ephemeral Status updates will soon be mixed with ads “to help you find channels and products you’re interested in.”

As of today, the Stories-like Status updates from WhatsApp contacts are visible at the top of the app’s Updates tab, which, according to WhatsApp, is used by 1.5 billion people per day. This Updates tab is also where WhatsApp users can find WhatsApp channels, which are a one-way broadcast tool similar to Instagram’s Broadcast Channels.

While WhatsApp may not be the most popular app for posting ephemeral updates, Instagram and Facebook users who add their WhatsApp account to their Meta Account Center can cross-post their Instagram and Facebook stories on WhatsApp. Anyway, Status updates on WhatsApp will soon be intertwined with ads, similar to what Instagram and Facebook users have been experiencing for quite some time.

To show relevant ads in Status updates, WhatsApp will use some personal information, including your country or city, language, the Channels you’re following, and how you interact with ads. “For people that have chosen to add WhatsApp to Accounts Center, we’ll also use your ad preferences and info from across your Meta accounts,” the company explained.

The WhatsApp team made it clear that it won’t be using the content of personal conversations and the groups users are in for ad targeting. The company also promised to never sell or share users’ phone numbers to advertisers.

WhatsApp Introduces Ads in Status Updates, Promoted Channels, and Channel Subscriptions

WhatsApp will soon start to mix ephemeral Status updates with ads. The app's Updates tab will also start showing promoted channels and channel subscriptions.

www.thurrott.com

 

[Gandalf_The_Grey]

WhatsApp Won’t Start Showing Ads to EU Users Until 2026

WhatsApp announced on Monday that it plans to introduce ads in the app’s “Updates” tab in the coming months, but EU users won’t see any ads this year. According to a report from Politico, the WhatsApp team informed the Irish Data Protection Commission that WhatsApp’s new advertising model, which also includes recommended Channels, won’t be coming to the EU until 2026.

“That new product won’t be launching [in] the EU market until 2026. We have been informed by WhatsApp and we will be meeting with them to discuss any issues further,” said Des Hogan, Commissioner for Data Protection and Chairperson of the Irish Data Protection Commission. Hogan added that there will be conversations with other data protection authorities about WhatsApp’s new advertising model “so that we can reflect back any concerns which we have as European regulators.”

Before WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook back in 2024, WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum penned a blog post to explain his general disdain for ads. It’s still available on the company’s blog, and it’s interesting to look at it now as WhatsApp is about to introduce ads.

WhatsApp Won't Start Showing Ads to EU Users Until 2026

The WhatsApp team informed Ireland's privacy regulator that the app's new advertising model won’t be coming to the EU until 2026.

www.thurrott.com

 

[Marko :)]

I have a feeling that Signal is about to become even more popular.

 

[Parkinsond]

I have a feeling that Signal is about to become even more popular.

It had a small boost after Whatsapp global outage few years ago, but it is still behind Telegram.