Overview

• WhatsApp began rolling out paid advertising features globally on June 16, placing ads exclusively in its Updates tab.
• Users will encounter three ad formats: status updates from advertisers, promoted channels and premium subscription offerings.
• Ads are targeted using non-sensitive data—country code, device language and general location—while avoiding access to personal chat content.
• WhatsApp maintains that direct messages, calls and status posts remain end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible to advertisers.
• Meta expects to generate revenue by taking a 10% commission on paid subscriptions and tapping into the Updates tab’s daily audience of 1.5 billion users.