WhatsApp will get ads. That might cause backlash in Europe
WhatsApp said that users will start seeing adverts in parts of the app, as owner Meta Platforms moves to cultivate a new revenue stream by tapping the billions of people who use the messaging service.
Advertisements will be shown only in the app's Updates tab, which is used by as many as 1.5 billion people each day. However, they will not appear where personal chats are located, developers said.
'The personal messaging experience on WhatsApp isn't changing, and personal messages, calls and statuses are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be used to show ads,' WhatsApp said in a blog post on Monday.
It is a big change for the company, whose founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton vowed to keep the platform free of ads when they created it in 2009.
Facebook purchased WhatsApp in 2014 and the pair left a few years later. Parent company Meta Platforms Inc. has long been trying to generate revenue from WhatsApp.
WhatsApp said ads will be targeted to users based on information like their age, the country or city where they're located, the language they're using, the channels they're following in the app, and how they're interacting with the ads they see.
WhatsApp said it will not use personal messages, calls and groups that a user is a member of to target ads to the user.
The European Commission signalled last year that the move fails to comply with its Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
The European Centre for Digital Rights (noyb), led by privacy activist Max Schrems said that Meta's 'Pay or Okay' approach effectively forces users to choose between privacy and affordability.
"Meta is doing exactly the opposite of what EU law requires," Schrems said in a statement.
"The data of its various platforms gets linked, and users are tracked for advertising without any genuine choice. Without freely given consent, linking data and showing personalised advertising is clearly illegal," he added.
Noyb said it would examine Meta's actions and "initiate procedures against the company "if necessary".
The details depend on Meta's practical implementation and therefore cannot yet be assessed conclusively.
Schrems said he expected a WhatsApp exodus to the messaging app Signal.
'Signal works just as well as WhatsApp, but is non-profit and donation-funded," he said.
WhatsApp unveiled three advertising features on Monday as it tries to monetise the app's user base. Channels will also be able to charge users a monthly fee for subscriptions so they can get exclusive updates.
Business owners will also be able to pay to promote their channel's visibility to new users.
Most of Meta's revenue comes from ads. In 2025, the Menlo Park, California-based company's revenue totalled $164.5 billion (€142 billion) and $160.6 billion (€138 billion) of it came from advertising.
Even though Europe is still lagging in the deployment of standalone 5G networks, the bloc is slowly catching up with other regions in the world, a European Commission report on connectivity targets published Monday suggested.
The so-called Digital Decade report said that targets to have all EU households connected to 5G by 2030 - presented by the Commission in 2021 - ware likely to be met.
'The percentage of households covered by 5G (all spectrum bands) rose by 5.3 percentage points, from 89.0% in 2023 to 94.3% in 2024. This represents a year-on-year increase of 6.0%. According to the forecast along the baseline trajectory, 100% of the target is expected to be achieved already by 2027,' the report said.
When it comes to rural areas, just under 80% were reached by 5G coverage, up from 71% in 2023.
Korea leads with 100% coverage, followed by Japan (99.2%) and Norway (99.0%). The US (97.0%), India and China (all 95%) also exceed or match the EU's coverage rate.
5G connections are deemed necessary as the use of internet connected devices, industrial appliances and data volumes increase.
The report – which also looked at digital skills, cloud and AI uptake -- said that overall, the EU made 'steady progress' in 2024 in digitalising key public services, but a substantial portion of governmental digital infrastructure continues to depend on service providers from outside the EU.
'The data shows persisting challenges, such as fragmented markets, overly complex regulations, security and strategic dependence. Further public and private investment and easier access to venture capital for EU companies would accelerate innovation and scale up,' the report said.
In December, the Commission is set to present its Digital Networks Act (DNA), an overhaul of the bloc's telecom rules to address connectivity issues. A consultation on the DNA is currently open.
In a response to Monday's report, Alessandro Gropelli, director general of telecom association Connect Europe, said a 'deep reform of Europe's connectivity policies is required.'
'We support an ambitious Digital Networks Act inspired by the Draghi Report: in the 21st century, there is no competitiveness without strong connectivity companies,' he added.
Laszlo Toth, head of Europe at mobile network operators' trade association GSMA, said the report was encouraging but cautioned against complacency.
"Getting a basic level of 5G coverage across Europe is one thing but actually providing people with the level of connectivity they need remains a huge challenge under current regulatory circumstances. We need the Commission to continue to look to the future in the upcoming DNA and merger reviews and promote a simplified and pro-investment environment where our digital ecosystem can truly thrive," said Toth.
The 27 EU member states will now discuss the Commission's report and discuss the way forward. Next year, the EU executive will review the targets and whether they still reflect the evolving demand of the EU's priorities.
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We need the Commission to continue to look to the future in the upcoming DNA and merger reviews and promote a simplified and pro-investment environment where our digital ecosystem can truly thrive," said Toth. The 27 EU member states will now discuss the Commission's report and discuss the way forward. Next year, the EU executive will review the targets and whether they still reflect the evolving demand of the EU's priorities.
