7 hours ago
Last Updated:June 23, 2025, 12:46 IST
WhatsApp ads are coming to Status and Channels in the next few months but can the company assure that chats will not get them too?
WhatsApp chief talks about bringing ads, how your chats are private and more.
WhatsApp and ads have been inevitable and Meta recently confirmed its long-awaited plans to show ads to its users but limiting to Status updates and Channels for now. Facebook back then paid over a reported $19 billion to buy WhatsApp which meant the business side of this deal was always going to put the messaging app at the crossroads.
The OG WhatsApp founders were completely against ads but that didn’t stop them from selling to a company that has a dubious record with your data. And it has taken them over a decade to chart a growth model for WhatsApp.
People will have questions about the future of the app, now that the floodgates have opened. But WhatsApp chief Will Cathcart has been publicly talking about these changes and assures that your chats will always remain private.
WhatsApp Ads Issue: What Will Says
Meta has focused on ads with Instagram and Facebook for years but WhatsApp has been the missing link in its jigsaw. Cathcart has been speaking via multiple interviews in the last week, and this report by Spiegel quotes him talking about the WhatsApp ad plans.
He was asked about bringing ads to WhatsApp, something that its co-founders were clearly against. Cathcart said, WhatsApp Updates tab is there to help people keep their private chats separate and this has given the company a means to bring ads. “It’s on us and the businesses to make ads relevant. When an ad is relevant to you or local to you, it can be really interesting," he cites the example of using Instagram to find new brands online.
But if Meta already has two products catering to these needs, why does it have to make WhatsApp follow the same model? The answer is in the large active user base which is well over 450 million out of the US and giving them the platform to enter more regions in the future.
Status Updates and Channels will see ads, which Cathcart claims are the only venue for the sponsored content. But chats will remain private, secure and ad-free. “ If you’re someone who doesn’t use Status, you won’t see any ads," he was quoted saying.
The publication went further and asked if WhatsApp can promise that ads won’t come to our private chats in the next two years, to which Cathcart doesn’t give a clear answer or says a definite no to such plans coming through, he just says, that is something they are not focused on.
To be fair, he could have easily dismissed all those concerns but leaving the floor open to such changes seems like something that Meta could easily make U-turn on and give us a WhatsApp that nobody recognises.
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr...Read More
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr...
Read More
News18 Tech delivers the latest technology updates, including phone launches, gadget reviews, AI advancements, and more. Stay informed with breaking tech news, expert insights, and trends from India and around the world. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!
Location :Delhi, India, India
First Published:News tech WhatsApp Ads Were Inevitable But Will It Come For Our Chats? Here’s What The Company Said
