WhatsApp is preparing to introduce a new advertising feature on its widely-used messaging platform, reports RTE.
These advertisements won’t appear in users’ personal conversations but will be accessible through the ‘Updates’ section, specifically under the ‘Status’ or ‘Channels’ tabs.
“This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all,” WhatsApp explained in a blog post, reports RTE.
The new ad feature will be launched worldwide in the upcoming months.
The platform confirmed that private messages, phone calls, and statuses will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring complete privacy, reports RTE.
“We will never sell or share your phone number to advertisers. Your personal messages, calls and groups you are in will not be used to determine the ads you may see,” the company added, reports RTE.
“To show ads in Status or Channels you might care about, we’ll use limited info like your country or city, language, the Channels you’re following, and how you interact with the ads you see,” reports RTE.
“For people that have chosen to add WhatsApp to Accounts Centre, we’ll also use your ad preferences and info from across your Meta accounts,” reports RTE.
According to WhatsApp, it has long discussed its intention to create a revenue model that doesn’t disrupt personal conversations, and the company feels the Updates section is the most suitable location for such features.
With this update, businesses and Channels can pay to feature in the app’s ‘Status’ area, allowing users to initiate chats directly with the business about a product or service if interested, reports RTE.
Additionally, users will have the option to pay a monthly subscription fee to access premium content from a channel, and promoted channels will be highlighted when browsing the directory.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
