Meta’s Strategic Monetisation Shift: Ads and Subscriptions Coming to WhatsApp

June 17, 2025 10:45 AM AEST | By Team Kalkine Media

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Meta’s Strategic Monetisation Shift: Ads and Subscriptions Coming to WhatsApp — Image source: shutterstock

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Highlights

Meta set to introduce ads in WhatsApp for the first time

New monetisation includes paid channel subscriptions

Privacy features and encrypted messages remain unchanged

In a major step towards monetisation, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has announced its plans to roll out advertisements on WhatsApp—marking a notable departure from the app’s long-held ad-free identity. The initiative includes a broader push to introduce paid subscriptions for channel access, targeted at both businesses and content creators. The rollout is expected to occur globally in phases over the coming months.

What’s Changing in WhatsApp

The most significant change is the placement of ads within WhatsApp’s “Status” feature—akin to Instagram Stories—which resides under the app’s “Updates” tab. According to Meta, this feature currently sees daily engagement from roughly 1.5 billion users. Despite the shift, Meta clarified that ads will not be inserted into personal chats, group conversations, or calls. All messages will continue to be protected by end-to-end encryption, preserving the platform’s core privacy promise.

This move also comes with a new option for creators and businesses to promote their channels via paid subscriptions, offering visibility to broader audiences. This expansion indicates Meta’s focus on turning WhatsApp into a viable business platform while maintaining user trust and security.

Why It Matters

The introduction of ads and subscriptions to WhatsApp signals a broader industry trend of monetising communication platforms without sacrificing core user experiences. While such moves can initially spark concern among long-time users, Meta has taken a measured approach by ensuring personal chats remain untouched by these commercial elements.

From a broader equity market lens, Meta’s developments might influence investor sentiment towards digital advertising and social media platforms. The company’s continuous efforts to diversify revenue streams could resonate with stakeholders monitoring innovations among major global tech firms.

Notably, companies such as Meta are closely observed by investors active in the ASX200 stocks landscape, where digital economy and tech-adjacent trends play a vital role in shaping investment narratives.

User Data and Ad Targeting

Meta emphasized that only limited user data will be used to deliver these ads—such as location, language, followed channels, and engagement patterns. If users have linked WhatsApp to the Meta Accounts Center, additional preferences from across Meta-owned platforms may also be utilised to fine-tune the ad experience.

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