Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, has refuted recent claims that it is considering introducing advertisements to the immensely popular messaging platform (via TechCrunch).
A report by the Financial Times had suggested that certain teams within Meta were exploring the possibility of displaying ads within lists of conversations on the WhatsApp home screen.
However, WhatsApp has firmly denied these reports, stating that it is neither conducting tests nor actively working on such a feature.
Industry analysts have long speculated about Meta’s intentions to monetize WhatsApp, a platform used daily by over 2 billion individuals worldwide.
Despite its success, WhatsApp has largely remained ad-free, unlike Instagram, a relatively cheaper acquisition for Meta, which has successfully integrated advertisements.
Instead of opting for traditional ads, Meta has chosen to generate revenue through WhatsApp Business, a specialized service tailored for merchants. WhatsApp Business has garnered over 200 million monthly active users.
In February, Meta introduced alterations to the pricing structure and messaging categories within WhatsApp Business, aiming to boost revenue. These categories encompass utility, authentication (for one-time passcodes), marketing, and user-initiated service conversations.
During last year’s Q3 earnings call, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that “click-to-WhatsApp” ads had reached an annual revenue run rate of $1.5 billion, with an 80% year-on-year growth rate.
Furthermore, Meta has been facilitating peer-to-peer and customer-to-merchant payments in countries such as India, Brazil, and Singapore.
In May, the company announced its intentions to integrate payments into its recently launched global broadcasting feature, Channels.
Over the past decade, WhatsApp has intermittently considered displaying ads, particularly within WhatsApp Status, but these plans have consistently been abandoned.
