WhatsApp is working on bringing ads to its iOS app
According to reliable leaker WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is already working to implement ads on its iOS app. After Facebook acquired WhatsApp, the messaging service had assured users of "absolutely no ads" on its platform. Yet, a month back, WhatsApp had announced that it would bring ads by 2019, and just days back, WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton spoke up about Facebook's intentions. Here are the details.
The development goes against the core principles of WhatsApp
In a tweet thread on Thursday, WABetaInfo revealed that "after viewing a certain number of statuses, WhatsApp might show an Ad". The move goes against the core principles of WhatsApp which, in 2012, had explained why it didn't want to sell ads. Then, after Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014, the messaging service had said that "nothing" would change for its users.
WABetaInfo's tweet about ads on WhatsApp's iOS version
Will WhatsApp ads be targeted? They just might be
As of now, it is unclear whether ads between Statuses on WhatsApp will be targeted. While WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption makes it nigh impossible for Facebook to harvest WhatsApp users' data, Facebook could find a workaround - users who have phone numbers registered with Facebook could be shown WhatsApp ads based on their activity on Facebook. However, not much else is known.
Facebook, Messenger Stories, and WhatsApp Status expected to follow Instagram
The development comes a day after it was announced that Facebook Stories and Messenger Stories would start to show advertisements soon. It is expected that both Facebook and Messenger, along with WhatsApp, will follow the ads model currently used by Instagram Stories, wherein ads show up after a certain number of stories are shown one after the other.
