{"id":211339,"date":"2025-06-24T20:55:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T20:55:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/211339\/"},"modified":"2025-06-24T20:55:11","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T20:55:11","slug":"meta-rolls-out-whatsapp-ads-globally-excluding-european-union","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/211339\/","title":{"rendered":"Meta rolls out WhatsApp ads globally, excluding European Union"},"content":{"rendered":"

ISLAMABAD: Meta has taken a major step in monetizing WhatsApp<\/a> by rolling out ads on the app worldwide, outside of the European Union. The change, announced on June 16, marks a significant shift for the world\u2019s most widely used messaging platform, which has long maintained ad-free status.<\/p>\n

Ads will now appear in the Updates tab, specifically within Status \u2013 WhatsApp\u2019s version of Instagram Stories. However, for millions of users in the European Union, the wait for ads will extend until at least 2026 due to regulatory delays.<\/p>\n

According to Meta, the new ads will not interfere with personal messaging. \u201cWe believe the Updates tab is the right place for these new features,\u201d WhatsApp explained in a blog post. The ads will appear alongside updates from friends and family but will not interfere with personal chats, calls, or group conversations. This subtle placement is designed to balance the user experience with Meta\u2019s revenue goals.<\/p>\n

As part of this broader monetization strategy, Meta is also introducing channel subscriptions and promoted channels. Channel subscriptions will allow creators to offer exclusive content behind a paywall, while promoted channels will be featured in the app\u2019s Explore section, giving brands and content creators equal access. Interestingly, users in the European Union won\u2019t see these ads just yet. Ireland\u2019s Data Protection Commission (DPC), which oversees Meta\u2019s EU operations, has confirmed that WhatsApp\u2019s advertising model won\u2019t go live in the region until 2026. \u201cThat new product won\u2019t be launched in the EU market until 2026. We\u2019ve been informed by WhatsApp,\u201d said Des Hogan, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner. The delay was due to concerns over compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), one of the world\u2019s strictest privacy laws.<\/p>\n

For users outside the EU \u2014 including India \u2014 ads will be personalized with limited data. Meta will use location (city and country), language, and user interactions with channels to tailor content. If users have linked WhatsApp to the Meta Accounts Center, their advertising preferences from Facebook and Instagram may also influence what they see.<\/p>\n

However, Meta insists that it is protecting user privacy. The company reiterated that it will not use private messages, calls, or group activity for ad targeting. These remain fully encrypted, and phone numbers will not be shared with advertisers.<\/p>\n

The timing of this rollout is bold, especially as Meta faces an ongoing antitrust lawsuit in the US. The integration of its advertising systems across its platforms \u2014 WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook \u2014 is under scrutiny, with critics saying it reflects Meta\u2019s unchecked market power. Still, the change signals a new chapter for WhatsApp. With 1.5 billion daily users, Meta sees huge revenue potential. After generating more than $160 billion in ad revenue last year, adding WhatsApp to its advertising portfolio could significantly boost revenue. Still, it also raises questions about the future of private, clutter-free communications on the app.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ISLAMABAD: Meta has taken a major step in monetizing WhatsApp by rolling out ads on the app worldwide,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":211340,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5174],"tags":[2000,299,5187,1699,599],"class_list":{"0":"post-211339","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eu","8":"tag-eu","9":"tag-europe","10":"tag-european","11":"tag-european-union","12":"tag-whatsapp"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}