WhatsApp has kind of replaced SMS, as the primary means of communication in many Countries around the world. The free instant messaging service, is allegedly planning to enable WhatsApp Ads in Status in the app.
We did test the latest beta app for Android (v 2.18.305), the version which is supposedly implementing the WhatsApp Ads in Status, and they are not visible yet, as the leaker claims.
That’s the reason why we call this an “alleged leak”, no proof yet. But, that being said, the leak comes from WABetaInfo, which has been a reliable source of information for upcoming WhatsApp features, so we are pretty sure this is happening.
WhatsApp Ads in Status isn’t actually shocking news, not to people who are aware of the service’s parent company, Facebook, and its “practices”. The social networking giant acquired the IM service in 2014, and it was only a matter of time before Facebook started monetizing from its golden egg.
If you look at the original post on t
he company’s blog, WhatsApp does mention;
” And you can still count on absolutely no ads interrupting your communication”.
Technically this will still be true, even if WhatsApp Ads in Status are enabled. The Status tab isn’t something you need to use (at all) for day-to-day communication, so the ads may not annoy users much. The question of user privacy however, is a completely different issue.
In fact, Ads in WhatsApp might have been one of the reasons why Jan Koum and Brian Acton resigned from Facebook. They were at loggerheads with the social media company’s manangement, over the direction that the IM app was moving towards.
And, you may be aware from recent reports that Facebook used user’s phone numbers, which were originally submitted for 2-factor authentication, for targetted ads. So, ethics is already out of the window.
Brace yourself for WhatsApp Ads in Status.
