WhatsApp is launching three new advertising features in the global rollout of cross-messaging apps.
The platform owned by Yuan said that new ads will not be displayed in the same location as people’s private chats, and the content of their messages (encrypted) will not be used to decide which ads to display.
WhatsApp instead will use the user’s country, city, and language, and how they interact with other ads and the channels they follow to drive the recommended content.
But those who choose to link their WhatsApp account to Facebook or Instagram will see more personalized ads.
The new ad feature will appear in the section called Updates, which is a separate tab at the bottom of the application.
WhatsApp claims to have 1.5 billion users worldwide.
Businesses with channels will be able to choose to promote ads in the Updates section to attract new followers and to receive subscriptions to access additional content.
WhatsApp will end up charging a 10% fee, and there may be additional fees at the App Store level depending on the size of the business.
The company will also be able to advertise in the form of a status update that looks similar to an Instagram story that, if clicked, will link to start the chat.
Social media expert Matt Navarra told the BBC that Meta “set the foundation for WhatsApp to eventually become a massive currency platform”.
But while maintaining personal chats, the “monetization” of “monetization” is not without risks to the company.
This may be especially true in markets like the UK and Europe, he said, where the app is primarily seen as a messaging tool with less demand for feeds or ads.
“Any opinion on the app becoming noisy or Facebook would cause a strong backlash,” he said.
It’s no accident that new features make WhatsApp more Meta-compatible with other platforms Facebook and Instagram.
“It’s obviously overlapping,” Whatsapp boss said Cathcart.
“We have stories on our Instagram and WhatsApp stories, and now we have a way for businesses to promote themselves in both, and we think that’s a good thing.”
He said he sees the move as a “natural extension of messaging services” rather than the feature of rival apps such as Snapchat and Telegram.
For Mr. Navarra, it also reflects a broader shift in the social media landscape.
“The feed is dying, the public sharing is down, and people retreat to the DM and stories in the group,” he said.
“Meta is trying to turn WhatsApp into a platform without users realizing it, and if they move too fast, or start to feel like another ad network, people may be disconnected, or worse yet, distrust the app.”
WhatsApp recently angered users with the introduction of a permanent button for the Meta AI tool, which cannot be deactivated or deleted, and Mr. Cathcart said those who do not want to see ads or follow channels will not be forced.
“I want to emphasize that this won’t affect your inbox,” he said.
“If you only use WhatsApp for messaging, you won’t see this.”
He said the update part of the app is “not particularly popular” in the UK, but is being used more in the rest of the world, and the company will “see feedback from boring AI tools” – but many other features of the app are also permanent.
“You can’t delete the channel button, you can’t delete the “Update” button, you can’t delete the call button, you can’t delete the call button,” he said.
“I mean, we don’t want to have services with many settings either…it’s complicated, too.”
