"WhatsApp" seeks to generate additional revenue by introducing ads Ads will not appear within users' private conversations

WhatsApp, owned by the American tech giant Meta, has announced plans to start displaying ads soon within the “Updates” section—used daily by approximately 1.5 billion people—as part of a broader strategy to generate additional revenue from the app, which has long prided itself on being ad-free.

According to developers, the ads will not appear in private chats or group messages, meaning the core messaging experience will remain unaffected.

“Private Messaging Remains Unchanged”

As per the announced details, ads will be shown based on general information such as the user’s age, geographical location, language, and the channels they follow on the app, as well as how they interact with ads. WhatsApp emphasized that it will not use private messages, calls, or groups the user is part of to target them with ads.

In an official online statement, WhatsApp confirmed: “Private messaging remains unchanged. Messages, chats, and personal status updates will continue to be fully encrypted and inaccessible for advertising purposes.”

The move marks a significant shift for the platform, especially considering its founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, had promised at launch in 2009 that the app would remain free of advertisements.

After Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, the two founders left the company, and Meta later began exploring monetization strategies for the platform.