WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, is introducing ads for the first time in its app, specifically in the 'Updates' section which is used by 1.5 billion people daily.
The ads will target users based on certain data like location and default language, but will not interfere with message contents or user interactions.
End-to-end encryption for personal messages, calls, and statuses will remain intact despite the introduction of ads.
The move to introduce ads marks a significant shift from WhatsApp’s original ad-free philosophy developed by its founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton.
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