Overview

• Meta began rolling out adverts in WhatsApp’s Updates tab globally, deferring implementation in the EU until 2026 due to GDPR scrutiny.
• The ads will draw on location and language preferences, without intruding on end-to-end encrypted personal chats or appearing in conversation threads.
• Meta expects the new ad format to generate about $1 billion in initial revenue from WhatsApp’s more than 3 billion monthly users.
• The rollout comes during an ongoing U.S. Federal Trade Commission antitrust case challenging Meta’s acquisitions of WhatsApp and Instagram.
• Privacy advocates warn that targeted advertising in WhatsApp could erode user trust and drive defections to rival messaging apps.