US EditionWhatsApp to Start Showing Ads to Users in Parts of the Messaging App
UNITED STATES, JUN 16 – Meta introduces ads and paid subscriptions in WhatsApp's Updates tab used daily by 1.5 billion users, maintaining encrypted personal chats to protect user privacy.
- On June 16, 2025, WhatsApp announced it will roll out new advertisements within its Updates tab globally over the coming months.
- WhatsApp has planned these ad features for years to build a business that avoids interrupting personal chats or compromising encryption.
- The new features introduced in the Updates tab include advertisements shown in Status, subscription options for Channels, and highlighted channels appearing in the directory search results.
- Nikila Srinivasan, Meta's head of product, explained that the company will rely on minimal basic data such as location and followed channels to tailor ads, emphasizing that the Updates tab is the most suitable area to introduce these advertising features.
- This move marks a major shift for WhatsApp as it aims to monetize while preserving user privacy and ensuring personal messages, calls, and groups remain encrypted and ad-free.
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WhatsApp introducing advertising is a potentially lucrative but risky move
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Meta is putting targeted ads in WhatsApp, stirring privacy concerns
Meta announced on Monday, June 16, its plans to introduce targeted ads into its WhatsApp messaging service. The decision to place ads under the app’s "Updates" tab is stirring concern among privacy advocates. In a blog post on the move, WhatsApp said it wants to help users “find more businesses and channels” on the app. The Updates tab is a section of the app where users can find new posts from celebrities, companies and news outlets they follow…
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