Meta has unveiled plans to monetise WhatsApp by introducing advertisements within the app, marking a major shift in its approach to the globally popular messaging platform.
Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s Vice President for Product Management, disclosed the development on Monday, stating that ads will soon appear in the Updates tab—an interface accessed by over 1.5 billion users daily. Meta clarified that personal chats, calls, and statuses will remain ad-free and end-to-end encrypted, preserving the core private messaging experience.
“This update does not change the privacy of personal conversations,” Meta said in an official blog post. “Ads will not appear in private chats or group conversations.”
The new monetisation model will leverage basic user data—such as age, language, location, followed channels, and prior ad engagement—to deliver targeted advertisements. Meta stressed that more sensitive data, including message content, call logs, and group affiliations, will not be used for ad targeting.
The move is part of a broader commercial strategy that includes three new monetisation tools on WhatsApp:
1. In-app Advertising in the Updates tab.
2. Channel Subscriptions, allowing content creators to charge users for exclusive material.
3. Promotional Tools for Businesses, enabling businesses to pay for increased visibility of their channels.
Meta’s financial model remains deeply tied to advertising revenue. In 2025, the company reported $164.5 billion in total revenue, with $160.6 billion—over 97%—sourced from advertising.
This latest development underscores Meta’s intention to transform WhatsApp into a revenue-generating platform while maintaining its longstanding commitment to user privacy in private communications.
