WhatsApp users will see ads for the first time, a change that has sparked concern, especially in Europe.
After years of operating without ads and with free services, WhatsApp has announced that it will soon start showing ads on its messaging app, which is used by billions of people around the world.
The ads will only appear in the Updates section, a space used by about 1.5 billion people every day. They will not appear in personal conversations, the company said in a blog post on Monday.
The change represents a major turnaround for the app, as its founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, had vowed in 2009 that WhatsApp would never have ads. Facebook acquired the app in 2014, and since then ,
parent company Meta Platforms Inc. has been looking for ways to generate revenue from WhatsApp.
Personal messages, calls and groups a user is a part of will not be used for ad targeting, the company stressed.
This change has faced criticism in Europe, where the European Commission has signaled that this approach conflicts with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The European Digital Rights Organization noyb, led by activist Max Schrems, sharply criticized the decision, calling the "Pay or Accept" approach a way of forcing users to choose between privacy and app usage.
"Meta is doing exactly the opposite of what European law requires," Schrems said.
“Its platform data is being linked, and users are being tracked for advertising without any real choice. Without free consent, data linking and personalized advertising are clearly illegal.”
The noyb organization stated that it would review Meta’s actions and take legal action if necessary.
Schrems also predicts a shift of users away from WhatsApp towards the alternative app Signal, describing the latter as non-profit and funded by donations, but with similar functionalities.
