Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp is likely to start showing ads soon, reports suggest.
When Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion, many wondered if it was money wisely spent. Since then, Facebook has been trying its best to monetise WhatsApp but without success. There have been internal disagreements within the organization for introducing ads in WhatsApp. There have been reports sporadically that Facebook intends to bring ads on the messaging app.
Once again there is a report in The Information that you should start seeing ads on WhatsApp soon once the company finishes the task of integrating all its social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The major issue with the idea of targeted ads on WhatsApp has been that the platform is an encrypted one end-to-end and nobody has access to the contents.
This new report says Facebook may pick and choose Facebook account holders on WhatsApp and start sending ads their way. This is also not a unanimous option within the ranks as it is feared people may start deleting their Facebook account. Remember the strong campaign to delete Facebook at the height of the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal?
In the backdrop of all these developments and the earlier failed attempts by Facebook to start sending ads in WhatsApp messaging service, tempts you to treat this new revelation by this latest report as a long shot. Even mighty service providers need to keep looking over their shoulders at competition and not do something that could jeopardise their existence.