- Meta will begin showing ads on WhatsApp through the Updates tab using the Status feature.
- The company says ads will use limited data and be designed to protect user privacy.
- Data for ad targeting will include general location, language, channels followed, and interactions with ads.
- Personal messages, calls, and phone numbers will not be used for ad targeting, according to Meta.
- Privacy experts have raised concerns about Meta’s privacy policies on other apps, prompting new user warnings.
Meta Platforms announced on June 17, 2025, that it will introduce advertising on its WhatsApp messaging app. The ads will display in the Updates tab, using a feature similar to Stories called Status, which lets users share text, photos, videos, and voice notes for 24 hours.
A spokesperson for Meta explained that these ads are “built with privacy in mind,” emphasizing that only limited user information will be used to select which ads are shown. According to the company, Status ads will start rolling out gradually.
“Your personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one can see or hear them,” WhatsApp stated in an official announcement. The company added that it will use information such as general location (city or country), language, followed channels, and activity within the Status feature to show relevant ads. The company also said that ads preferences from Facebook or Instagram accounts could influence ads on WhatsApp if the user enables the platform’s Accounts Center, though this setting is off by default.
The types of information collected for advertising purposes include country code, age where applicable, device details like language settings, city or country, and activity on both Status and Channels. Activity on other Meta apps is also considered when accounts are connected through the Accounts Center.
Meta clarified that it will not sell or share users’ phone numbers with advertisers and will not access private messages, calls, or group chats for ad targeting. “By default, WhatsApp removes or alters personal information (like phone numbers) before sharing it with Meta so that Meta cannot identify individuals and is only able to suggest ads that may appeal to people who share broad characteristics, such as people in the same general area,” the company said.
This development comes as Meta faces scrutiny over the privacy of its other platforms. Recent changes to the Meta AI chatbot include new warnings aimed at stopping users from unintentionally sharing sensitive information publicly, after reports of accidental data exposure. Privacy advocates like the Mozilla Foundation have criticized Meta’s approach, leading to the company’s new prompt reminding users that publicly shared prompts may be visible across Meta apps.
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