WhatsApp has been contemplating the introduction of ads on its platform for quite some time. The idea of incorporating advertisements has been on the table since as early as 2018. However, concerns about user privacy and potential reactions to in-app ads have caused delays in its implementation. Despite these delays, it seems that WhatsApp might eventually include ads on its platform and these ads could appear in various places within the app.
The company’s CEO, Will Cathcart, in an interview to Brazilian media (via Tech Crunch) mentioned that WhatsApp won’t have ads in your chat inbox or the main messaging experience. However, the ads could show in other places of the app such as in the newly launched Channels and Status. Additionally, Cathcart also said that WhatsApp is considering allowing Channels to charge for subscriptions and promote ads within Channels.
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WhatsApp head believes that putting ads in the main messaging box is not the right way to do it. “The reason I qualified [sic] the answer is that there could be ads in other places — channels or status. For example, channels might charge people to subscribe, they might be exclusive to paid members or the owners might want to promote the channel. But, no, we won’t put ads in your inbox,” he said.
WhatsApp had considered introducing ads in the Status feature in the past, but this plan was never implemented. While the company head mentions it as a possibility, no specific plan or timeline have been revealed yet.
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