Meta to Add Ads and Paid Features to WhatsApp

Meta has announced it will introduce ads to WhatsApp, ending the app's ad-free status since Meta's 2014 acquisition. The ads will be limited to the Updates tab, specifically within Status and Channels, and will not appear in personal chats, which remain end-to-end encrypted. Ad targeting will use limited data such as location, language, and channel interactions, with further personalization possible for users who link WhatsApp to other Meta accounts via the Accounts Center. WhatsApp will also offer paid channel subscriptions and promoted channel visibility as new monetization options. Privacy experts and some users have raised concerns due to Meta's history with data privacy, though the company emphasizes that private messages and phone numbers will not be used for ad targeting. The announcement led to a notable rise in Meta's stock price as investors welcomed efforts to monetize WhatsApp's large user base.