WhatsApp Rolls Out Ads in Updates Tab, Delays EU Launch Until 2026

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, has introduced advertisements for the first time within its "Updates" tab, marking a significant departure from its long-standing promise of no ads or data exploitation. Meta insists the ads will use limited personal data such as location, language, and followed channels, excluding message content, calls, or group data, but this shift has raised privacy concerns among users and regulators. Co-founder Brian Acton left the company in 2017 largely due to disagreements over targeted advertising and privacy compromises. In the European Union, the rollout of ads has been delayed until 2026 due to regulatory scrutiny from data protection authorities, including the Irish Data Protection Commission, which is actively engaging with WhatsApp over privacy and data protection issues. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is encouraging users to add email addresses for improved account security and login resilience, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance user protection amid these changes. The introduction of ads challenges WhatsApp's original ethos and highlights broader tensions between user privacy and Meta's monetization strategies.