WhatsApp retracts its year-long pledge not to get ads with a recent announcement on Monday, June 16. The WhatsApp Updates tab, including Status and Channels, will soon have revamped features of Ads in Status, Promoted Channels, and Channel Subscriptions. While experts assert it to be Meta’s strategy to generate higher revenue, the firm has proclaimed that it will give growth opportunities to businesses.
As per the revelation, WhatsApp will now exhibit ads in a story-like format from diverse businesses on its Status tab, alongside enabling Channel Subscriptions and Promotions. Meta acquired the widely used messaging platform, WhatsApp, in 2014 and has been offering free services. However, from now on, advertisements will appear similar to Meta’s Instagram stories.
According to WhatsApp, the feature has been in process for the past two years to offer something fresh to its daily user base of over 1.5 billion individuals. One of the key causes for this upgrade is to help businesses progress on WhatsApp. Alongside that, the firm has also assured the users that the ads will not impact messaging with your closest ones.
WhatsApp stated, “Today we’re introducing some new features for our Updates tab, which is home to both Channels and Status....”
New Features on WhatsApp’s Updates Tab:
Ads in Status: The ads will not only allow users to identify new businesses easily but also offer a chance to start an interaction with them instantly.
Promoted Channels: Admins and managers will now be able to promote their channels and boost visibility among individuals interested in them.
Channel Subscriptions: Users can now subscribe to channels they like and get the latest updates through a paid monthly plan.
What About User Privacy?
WhatsApp is prioritizing privacy more than anything while adding ads to its Updates tab. While enabling end-to-end encryption for messages, groups, calls, and stories of the users, the app ensures no one can see or hear any personal interactions.
The ad mechanism of WhatsApp will highly depend on the user demographics, such as their residing city or country, the language they speak, and the channels they are already following. However, identifiable information such as phone numbers, personal chats, groups, and calls will not be interrupted or targeted for ads. Additionally, WhatsApp is likely to utilize user data to reveal their ad interactions across Meta accounts.
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