WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is starting to show new ads on its app. These ads will not be shown in private messages, and WhatsApp says it will not read messages to choose ads, because all chats are encrypted.
Instead, WhatsApp will use information like your country, city, language, and what channels you follow or ads you click on. If your WhatsApp is connected to Facebook or Instagram, the ads may be more personal.
The ads will appear in a part of the app called 'Updates.' This section is different from the chat section. Businesses can pay to promote their channels in Updates. They can also charge users for extra content, and WhatsApp will take 10% of that money.
Businesses can also post ads in 'status updates,' like Instagram stories. These can take people to a chat if they click.
An expert, Matt Navarra, says Meta wants to make money from WhatsApp. But it must be careful, especially in Europe and the UK, where people like using WhatsApp only for messaging. Too many ads could make users unhappy.
WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart says the new features are similar to Instagram and Snapchat. He also says that if you only use WhatsApp for messaging, you won’t see these ads. Some buttons in the app, like for AI or channels, cannot be removed, and that has made some users upset.
Vocabulary:
• owned (verb): something someone legally has
• ads (noun): short for advertisements; paid promotions
• encrypted (adj.): coded to keep private
• careful (adj.): paying attention to avoid danger
• removed (verb): taken away or deleted
Source: BBC News