WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Meta has quietly launched advertisements within WhatsApp's 'Updates' tab, using the Status feature akin to Instagram Stories to display sponsored content alongside friends' disappearing posts.
Beginning this week, businesses can place ads in Status feeds without impinging on private conversations or accessing encrypted messages.
Rather than mining chat data, Meta will target ads based on limited signals: users' country or city, language settings, followed Channels, and previous ad interactions.
Those who have linked their WhatsApp accounts to Facebook or Instagram may see slightly more personalized promotions drawn from their broader Meta activity. Crucially, Meta pledges never to share phone numbers with advertisers.
In addition to Status ads, companies can now promote their public 'Channels' in WhatsApp's Explore panel and even monetize premium content via subscriptions WhatsApp will retain a 10percent commission plus any app-store fees.
WhatsApp's head, Will Cathcart, framed the move as a 'natural extension' of the service's storytelling features, pointing out its similarity to advertising on rival platforms like Snapchat and Telegram. He emphasized that users uninterested in ads can simply ignore the Updates tab, assuring that their core private messaging experience remains unaffected.
Meta insists it will closely monitor user feedback and fine-tune the implementation to preserve WhatsApp's hallmark simplicity and privacy.
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