The popular WhatsApp messenger will start displaying ads for the first time since 2009. The company said in a statement that Messenger will launch new features for advertising and paid services. Several new features will soon be available in the Messenger's "Current" tab, which includes the "Status" and "Channels" sections.
In particular, users will be able to subscribe to channels on a paid basis, place ads in statuses, and increase their channel's visibility for a fee.
The company notes that limited user data will be used to display ads, including information about the country and language, subscribed channels, and data on interaction with advertising materials. WhatsApp assured that users using Messenger only for personal communication will not notice the changes.
WhatsApp is currently the most popular Messenger in the world.
