This week, WhatsApp did something its founders said it would never do: it's putting advertisements inside the app. It ends WhatsApp's decade-plus run of offering an ad-free messaging and calling experience.

Meta, which acquired WhatsApp in 2014, attempted to justify the decision by saying ads will be sequestered to its "Updates" tab, where you'll see some sponsored status updates. WhatsApp's status feature allows users to share photos, videos, and text messages that disappear after 24 hours - but now you'll see ones from businesses, too. "If you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones there is no change to your experience at all," Meta writes in its announcement.

But the rollout of ads in its status feature could be just the beginning for Meta, which raked in more than $160 billion in ad revenue from across Facebook and Instagram in 2024. Meta says its ads are built with "privacy in mind" and won't draw from your personal messages, calls, and statuses, which will remain encrypted. Instead, WhatsApp is limiting ad targeting to elements like your city, country, language, the channels you're following, and the way you interact with the ads. Still, bringing targeted ad …

Read the full story at The Verge.