WhatsApp considering introduction of Ads on Channels and Status: Report

In a recent interview with a Brazilian publication, WhatsApp’s head, Will Cathcart, potentially disclosed the platform’s ad-related intentions. According to Cathcart, WhatsApp will not display ads in the inbox, but there is a possibility they might appear in different locations, like Status or Channels.

“There could be ads in other places — channels or status. For example, channels might charge people to subscribe, they might be exclusive to paid members or the owners might want to promote the channel. But, no, we won’t put ads in our inbox,” mentioned Cathcart, as per the report.

In an interesting turn of events, back in September, Will Cathcart had categorically refuted the allegations made in a Financial Times report, which suggested WhatsApp’s potential placement of ads on the chat screen. On X, the WhatsApp head stated, “This @FT story is false. We aren’t doing this.”

It is crucial to highlight that although Cathcart may have suggested the possibility of ads being introduced in WhatsApp’s Status or Channels section, it does not signify a definite confirmation of their arrival. In 2019, WhatsApp experimented with ads in the beta version’s Status segment, yet it never transitioned to the public version.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp reported that it took action against 7.11 million accounts in September, as per its latest monthly report for India, in adherence to the IT regulations. 

As per PTI, among these, 2.57 million accounts were banned proactively, even before receiving any user reports.

From September 1, 2023, to September 30, 2023, a total of 7,111,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned. Among these, 2,571,000 accounts were proactively banned prior to receiving any user reports, as mentioned in the WhatsApp report.

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Updated: 08 Nov 2023, 12:33 PM IST