(Credit: WhatsApp)
Unlike other Meta apps, the company has traditionally kept WhatsApp ad-free. That’s set to change, though ads will be limited to specific areas of the app, away from your messages.
Meta will soon include ads within the Status feature. This section is similar to Instagram Stories, where you can share clips or photos from your day-to-day life with your contacts. In the coming months, ads will appear between people you follow. Meta hasn’t shared how often ads will appear, but if it’s anything like Instagram, it’ll likely be after every fourth or fifth story you view.
Meta won't use your personal data to target these ads. That means it can't use the topics in your messages, or the people you message, to figure out what ads to show you. Instead, Meta will use data such as your location, language, your interactions with Channels, or the ads you've been interested in before.
The company is also introducing a new way for businesses, celebrities, and influencers to monetize their own WhatsApp Channels. A Channel on WhatsApp acts like a big group chat, where you can update everyone following you at the same time. Many businesses use them to update users on specific changes or promotions.
Soon, owners of these channels will be able to charge for exclusive access to certain content. It sounds like this will work similarly to a Patreon subscription, where businesses can have a free tier for most users, and those who want exclusive access to additional services can pay for a subscription on top.
Around 1.5 billion people visit Channels and Status each day. There's currently no sign of WhatsApp bringing ads to other parts of its app, but that may eventually happen if the company continues to see success in its ad expansion.