WhatsApp launching ads

Meta Platforms-owned WhatsApp is rolling out adverts in the platform’s Status section, which it says will help businesses get discovered by more new customers.

According to a WhatsApp blog post, the platform will offer channel subscriptions and promoted channels in addition to ads in the Status section.

Channel subscriptions will enable users to support their favourite channels by subscribing to them for a monthly fee to receive exclusive updates.

Through promoted channels, WhatsApp aims to help users discover new channels that may interest them while they scour the directory.

“For the first time, admins have a way to increase their Channel’s visibility,” said WhatsApp.

The “Ads in Status” feature will enable users to find new businesses and easily start a conversation with them about a product or service they’re promoting in status.

“Over 1.5 billion users visit the Updates tab every day to get Status updates or view Channels from people and organisations they care about,” says WhatsApp.

It said this will make it easier for users to start conversations with your business or find and follow your channel through advertising on WhatsApp.

“By showing ads in Status, you can help your business get discovered by new customers and make it easy for them to start a conversation with you, all within WhatsApp,” it said.

WhatsApp added that the new features will only appear in the Updates tab, away from users’ personal chats.

“This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones, there is no change to your experience at all.”

The company said it built these new features with privacy in mind, and nobody, including WhatsApp, will be able to see or hear your end-to-end encrypted personal messages, calls, and statuses.

It will also use limited information to show ads in statuses or Channels that users 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,” it says.

“For people that have chosen to add WhatsApp to Accounts Center, we’ll also use your ad preferences and info from across your Meta accounts.”

WhatsApp added that it will never sell or share user phone numbers to advertisers, and that personal messages, calls, and groups users are in won’t be used to determine the ads they see.

“We’ve been talking about our plans to build a business that does not interrupt your personal chats for years and we believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features to work,” said WhatsApp.

“Our ads will appear in the Updates tab, in Status and Channels, where people are open to discovery.”