Meta Platforms officially announced on June 17, 2025, the launch of its long-awaited and large-scale monetization strategy for its messaging app, WhatsApp, which has over two billion users worldwide. As reported by leading global news agencies, including the Associated Press and Reuters, the company is beginning to introduce advertisements as well as new tools for content creators, including paid channel subscriptions. A key and repeatedly emphasized point is that ads will not appear in users personal and group chats, which remain end-to-end encrypted and are considered private spaces. Advertisements will be integrated into the "Updates" tab (formerly known as "Status"), where users view contacts stories and channel content. Meta states that ad targeting will be based on general, non-personal data such as the users region and language, as well as their activity in channels, but not on the content of personal conversations. Simultaneously, WhatsApp channel creators are being given the ability to launch paid subscriptions, offering exclusive content to their most loyal followers. To stimulate the growth of the "creator economy" within the platform, Meta will not charge a commission on subscription revenue initially, but plans to introduce a fee of around 10% in the future. This dual strategy – unobtrusive advertising and new tools for businesses and creators – is designed to finally turn WhatsApp into a significant revenue source for Meta while preserving the core principle of communication privacy on which user trust in the platform is built.
Meta Begins Monetizing WhatsApp: Ads and Paid Subscriptions Coming to the Messenger
