WhatsApp gets advertisements, despite earlier promise to remain advertising -free

This article was last updated on June 17, 2025

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WhatsApp gets advertisements, despite earlier promise to remain advertising -free

WhatsApp receives advertisements in the app. In the with updates tab, messages from your own contacts will no longer be shown, but also commercials of companies and organizations. The advertisements will not appear between the chat messages.

When the first advertisements will be shown in the Netherlands is unclear. A spokesperson for Meta, the company behind WhatsApp, does not give up a specific date after questions about this from the NOS. The spokesman only says that the advertisements will become visible worldwide in the coming period.

Advertising between status updates

In the tab with updates, users can add photos and messages that are visible 24 hours. This is called a WhatsApp status. The function can be compared with the stories (stories) on Facebook and Instagram. These two social media are also owned by the American tech company Meta.

Advertisements will soon also appear between those personal updates from friends, family and other contacts. That had been coming for years; A WhatsApp CEO said in 2018 That the social medium wanted to add advertising to its app.

Metadoor meta released example of how companies can advertise in WhatsApp.

In 2018, the statust tab was used daily by 450 million people. In the meantime there are three times as much: according to Meta, 1.5 billion people worldwide use the tab every day.

“We are convinced that the update tab is the right place” for advertisements, says Meta. “If you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones, nothing will change about your experience.”

Other promise

In 2014, WhatsApp became part of Meta, which was then called Facebook. The company paid nearly 22 billion dollars for that (converted almost 19 billion euros). In that period, Facebook thought he would earn money – and therefore earning back that amount – by asking users almost a euro a year. But in 2016 Facebook let it go: WhatsApp would remain free.

WhatsApp promised then That the company would not show advertisements. It would remain an app to have contact with friends and family “without getting advertisements (…) or spam”.

Content of chats not used

Advertisements in the Updestabblad cannot be based on the content of your chat conversations. It is protected from others. Only the participants in conversations can read the chats. Even WhatsApp or owner Meta cannot read along.

Instead, the advertisements will be based on “limited information,” says WhatsApp. The company calls your country or language. This is important for companies, because Dutch companies can only show their advertisements in the Netherlands or to Dutch people.

Advertisements can also be based on the channels you follow. This function is also in the Updestabblad. For example, if you follow a number of football clubs, advertisers know that you are interested in football. They can use that information to show advertising to football fans, for example.

Meta says that the company itself will never share or sell telephone numbers with advertisers.