WhatsApp is to roll out a new advertisement feature on the popular messaging app.
The ads will not be visible to users in their chats and will be available behind the ‘Updates’ tab under ‘Status’ or ‘Channels’.
“This means if you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all,” WhatsApp said in a blog post.
The ads will be rolled out globally over the coming months.
WhatsApp said that personal messages, calls, and statuses will remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one can see or hear them.
“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.
“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.”
“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.”
WhatsApp said it has been talking about its plans to build a business that does not interrupt personal chats for years, and that it believes the Updates tab is the right place for the new features to work.
Under the new system, Channels and businesses will be able to pay to appear in the ‘Status’ section of the app, with users able to start a conversation on WhatsApp about a product or service with the business if they wish.
As part of the new roll out, users will be able to subscribe to a channel for a monthly fee to receive additional content, and promoted channels will appear when users search in the directory.
