In response to a Financial Times report, Meta clarified that it has no plans to introduce ads on WhatsApp, contradicting speculation that has long circulated about the future monetization of the app.
Financial Times suggested that Meta was contemplating showing ads in conversation lists on WhatsApp. However, WhatsApp's official statement made it clear that they are neither testing nor planning such an initiative.
Instead of using ads, Meta has been focusing on monetizing WhatsApp through its Business platform. With over 200 million monthly active users, WhatsApp Business has shown potential as a significant revenue stream for Meta.
Earlier this year, Meta announced changes in the pricing structure and messaging categories for WhatsApp Business. These changes included utility, authentication for sending one-time passcodes, marketing, and user-initiated service conversations.
Meta has been actively facilitating payments on WhatsApp in countries like India, Brazil, and Singapore. They are also considering integrating payments into the newly launched Channels feature.
According to a note by AllianceBernstein analysts, "Meta appears to be taking steps towards monetizing the 2+ billion active users on WhatsApp, with revenue models like 'Click to Message' already showing promise."
This @FT story is false. We aren't doing this.
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) September 15, 2023
Also it looks like you misspelled Brian's name... https://t.co/Z47z9FC5yu
Though WhatsApp has considered introducing ads in features like WhatsApp Status in the past, those plans have consistently been put on hold or scrapped.
While analysts have often speculated that ads would find their way into WhatsApp, Meta's latest statement confirms that, for now, the company is taking a different path. With the strong performance of WhatsApp Business and other revenue-generating initiatives, Meta appears committed to a non-ad-based monetization strategy for the messaging app.
