It’s time to pull out the wallet. After all, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook are eager to see money. The popular applications are currently largely free, but that may soon change. The beginning of the end? OMT editor Mark Hofman explains.
Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp and Instagram, among others, has a new division. The name? New Monetization Experiences…brr
Paying for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook
In an internal memo, leaked via US website The Verge, Meta announces the changes to staff. Applications like WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram will be free to use, but there are things that will change. There is a good chance that certain functionalities will disappear behind the pay wall.
Not much else is known about the change. For example, we don’t know what kind of prices are being considered and what kind of functionalities come with such a subscription. For example, does Meta roll out new exclusive features for WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook or does it remove existing features.
Photo of the food (Image: Eaters Collective)
All in all, this is a way for the company to rectify the disappointing revenue surrounding ads. Although it is still trying to find a solution for that, by the way, these kinds of things are also important for the future. Whether you should be happy with that…
The end near?
If Meta does something in the area of money, it does it well. In that respect, it often does not matter to what extent the user is the victim. A bit negative perhaps, but over the years it has become clear how the company views its users. Selling personal data actually says enough.
Although WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook remain free, this feels a bit like the beginning of the end. I personally feel that the importance of the user, even in this case, is slowly going to disappear. Where the pay wall currently only applies to exclusive features, I see a service like WhatsApp eventually disappearing behind the pay wall altogether.
Perhaps it will be possible in WhatsApp to send messages and photos for free, but I can secretly see the ads flying around my ears already. Again: maybe I’m being a bit negative, but a pay wall can mean anything but a good thing.
