Meta denies plans to introduce ads on WhatsApp

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has refuted recent reports suggesting that it is considering the introduction of advertisements on its popular messaging platform, WhatsApp.

The Financial Times reported that some teams at Meta had explored the possibility of displaying ads within lists of conversations with contacts on the WhatsApp home screen. This sparked discussions about Meta’s potential move to introduce advertising on WhatsApp.

In response to these reports, WhatsApp issued a statement clarifying its stance. The messaging app emphasized that it was neither testing nor working on the introduction of ads to its platform, nor did it have any such plans in the pipeline.

“This @FT story is false. We aren’t doing this,” WhatsApp head Will Cathcart stated in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

WhatsApp boasts a massive user base of over 2 billion people worldwide. Given this vast audience, many analysts have speculated that Meta might eventually seek ways to monetize the service. But so far, Meta has not provided any indications that it is actively pursuing this path.

Instead, Meta has been generating revenue from WhatsApp Business, a platform tailored for merchants. WhatsApp Business has garnered over 200 million active users each month. It offers certain features for a fee and is currently experimenting with automated personalized messaging for businesses. This feature enables companies to send customized messages to different customer groups, such as offering discount codes to new customers.

While Meta’s denial of immediate plans for ads on WhatsApp may offer reassurance to users, the company continues to explore diverse avenues for monetization, aiming to balance profitability with user experience on its platforms.

Recently, it was reported Truecaller was bringing its solutions to WhatsApp and other messaging apps to help users identify and prevent potential spam calls. 

Additionally, in May, Whatsapp’s parent Meta said in a filing that it was planning to raise $8.5 billion in a five-part bond offering.