WhatsApp Now only chatting app is no longer. META has taken a big step towards montizing this platform. The company has introduced a new feature called Status Ads, under which now WhatsApp users will start seeing branded advertisements in the status section. This feature will be similar to the ads seen in Instagram and Facebook stories.
Whatsapp users will now get to see sponsored ads between some status while scrolling in the status section. These are the same status that your friends and families post and who disappear in 24 hours. Now advertisements published by META will also be seen among them.
When a user is watching Whatsapp status, he will see sponsored status after some status. This sponsored status will actually be an advertisement, shown to targeted users from META. If users want, you can swipe these ads by swiping them like other status.
These status ads may feature mobile phones, gadgets, e-commerce offers, new movies or web series trailers, beauty, fashion and food brands promotions. So far these ads are visible on verified channels, but soon this feature will start appearing in the status section of all the users.
It has been clarified by WhatsApp that your chat is still completely end-to-end encrypted. “Meta cannot read your personal chats. These ads will only be shown on the basis of your status habits, app use patterns and general data.”
Currently, users have not been given any option to close Status Ads. This feature is currently being rolled out slowly and will be fully integrated to every user of WhatsApp in future.
It is clear from the onset of Status Ads on Whatsapp that Meta is now planning to earn from this popular app. Although the chatting privacy of users will not have any effect, but the interface of the app and user experience can definitely feel different from before. It will now be seen how easily Indian users adopt this change.
