It’s been a while since Meta, owner of Instagram and Facebook, said anything about ads within WhatsApp. But it looks very much like the team behind the popular iPhone and Android app is still working on it.
After Facebook and Instagram rolled out subscription ad removal, the company still seems to have plans for WhatsApp. Can we expect those ads here too, and are we talking about a new idea?
WhatsApp follows Facebook and Instagram after all
Since 2018, the team behind WhatsApp has been looking for ways to integrate ads into their iPhone and Android app. To this day, however, not only has that failed, but it has remained extremely quiet around the plans.
Unfortunately, Will Cathcart, the man who heads the company, has revealed that he still wants the plans to go forward. Speaking to a Brazilian publication called Folha De S.Paulo (via TechCrunch), he responded that WhatsApp will always remain free and ad-free.
While Cathcart says the application should definitely remain free, he and his team are still looking for ad opportunities. For example, the Instagram Stories-like Status feature should eventually feature ads, and the company is also looking at the recently launched Channels.
Channels is a way for large parties to stay in touch with their community. In the case of websites, for example, by sharing articles, giving a behind-the-scenes peek or posting videos.
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Meta on the mat in Europe
The timing of this news coming out, by the way, is striking. Just last week, Facebook and Instagram were dealt a raking blow by Europe.
Meta, the company behind the two platforms, was banned from using personalized ads in our continent because it used personal data in the wrong way.
How the company handles this in combination with Facebook and Instagram we will see in the coming months. Only then can we conclude whether WhatsApp will actually follow suit.
Or whether we as users may have to pay for the service.