WhatsApp has announced some major updates to the messaging platform. It announced one of the biggest changes on Monday, 16 June.
The messaging app will now allow advertisers to share ads on the status updates tab. This will allow users to easily start a conversation about a product or service they are interested in. Channels will also become monetised and available at a subscription fee. Advertisers will promote the channels to increase their visibility.
On the WhatsApp Blog, the Meta-owned company said the new features are under the Updates tab only. The platform highlighted that the new features will not interfere with personal chats.
“We’ve worked over the last two years to make this tab the place for you to discover something new on WhatsApp. And it’s now used by 1.5 billion people a day. We’re encouraged by the enthusiasm and also want to help admins, organisations, and businesses grow on WhatsApp,” the post read.
PRIVACY REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY FOR WHATSAPP UPDATE
The personal messaging app will also ensure personal messages, calls, and statuses remain end-to-end encrypted. WhatsApp emphasised that it will never sell or share personal information to advertisers. As a result, it will not use your personal messages, calls, or groups to determine the ads you may see.
“To show ads in Status or Channels you might care about, we’ll use limited info like your country or city, language, the Channels you’re following, and how you interact with the ads you see,” the post added.
However, if you added WhatsApp to your Accounts Centre, the platform will use your ad preferences and info from across your Meta accounts.
DO YOU THINK THESE UPDATES ARE A GOOD MOVE FROM WHATSAPP?
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11.
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