WhatsApp will display ads in Status

  After years of offering a free service without ads, WhatsApp will start showing ads in Status, a feature similar to Stories on Instagram.

According to a TechCrunch broadcast on Monday (16/6), WhatsApp application users will then see advertisements after viewing several Status updates.

WhatsApp Vice President of Product Alice Newton-Rex said that adding ads was a timely extension to increase the app's revenue stream.

"(New ads and promotions) feel like the next natural evolution, as these businesses have grown and helped people find businesses directly within WhatsApp and this is something we're hearing more and more from businesses," he said.

The company said ads will start appearing on Status in the next few months.

The company's ad serving mechanism will be adjusted to the user's country or city and language, the channels they follow, and user interaction with the ad.

As the owner of WhatsApp, Meta emphasized that they will not use sensitive personal data such as phone numbers, messages, calls, or user groups as preferences for displaying ads.

If users link their WhatsApp accounts to the Meta Account Center, the company will use account preferences as a reference in displaying ads.