WhatsApp, the world’s most popular messaging app, is changing and not everyone’s thrilled about it.
Meta has confirmed that advertisements will soon start appearing in the Updates tab of WhatsApp, an area used by over 1.5 billion people every day. While personal chats remain ad-free (for now), this marks a major shift from WhatsApp’s founding promise to remain free of ads.
Meta assures users that private messages, calls, and statuses will continue to be end-to-end encrypted, and will not be used to target ads. However, ad personalization will rely on data such as your location, language, and in-app activity — a move that’s raising serious privacy concerns.
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But that’s not all.
WhatsApp Channels will soon allow creators to charge subscription fees.
Businesses will be able to pay for content promotion, expanding their reach within the app.
These features reflect Meta’s broader push to monetize its platforms. In 2025 alone, the company generated US$164.5 billion in revenue, with a staggering US$160.6 billion coming from advertising.
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For many, this feels like a betrayal of WhatsApp’s original ethos. For others, it’s the inevitable evolution of a free platform under corporate ownership.
So we ask: Is this a bold innovation — or a creeping invasion?
💬 Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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