SAN FRANCISCO: WhatsApp is set to roll out three new monetisation features within its Updates tab, including paid channel subscriptions, promoted channels in the Discovery directory, and ads in Status, the app’s version of Instagram stories, AFP reported.
Meta’s vice president of product management, Nikila Srinivasan, said the updates will be introduced slowly over the next few months, though no exact timeline was given.
The new features include paid monthly subscriptions for users who want exclusive updates from their favourite channels, promoted placements to help channel admins boost visibility in the directory, and ads in Status that let users discover businesses and start conversations about the products or services being promoted.
In a press release on Monday (June 16), the company said, “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.”
The Meta-owned company stressed that users who only use the app for personal messaging will not experience any changes, as the new features will only appear on the Updates tab.
“Your personal messages, calls, and statuses will remain end-to-end encrypted. This means no one, not even us, can see or hear them, and they cannot be used for ads,” Ms Srinivasan said.
She noted that to show ads in Status or Channels, WhatsApp will rely only on basic details such as a user’s country or city, device language, and activity within the Updates tab.
“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 said.
Users and regulators have been waiting to see how Meta would monetise the platform, mainly used for chatting with friends and family. Since acquiring WhatsApp in 2014, Meta has kept the app largely free of ads, unlike Facebook and Instagram.
Until now, ads on the platform have been limited to WhatsApp Business promotional messages and some Status ad testing in certain markets. There are also no display ads in chat feeds or conversations.
In 2023, the company denied reports that it was planning to bring ads into the app to boost revenue. /TISG
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