Meta to introduce ads and subscriptions on WhatsApp
Meta announced that it is adding ads and subscriptions to its WhatsApp messaging app in a June 16 press release.
The social media giant, primarily known as the parent company of Facebook, said that the changes will roll out over the next few months and that they are intended to help businesses and organizations grow.
"People really want to chat to businesses on their own terms, and they want to do it in a place where they already spend their time, which is on WhatsApp," Nikila Srinivasan, vice president for product management at Meta said on a call with reporters, according to CBS News.
The new ads will show up on the "Updates" tab where they can start a conversation with an advertiser by clicking on its status. Meta introduced the "Updates" tab in 2023, where users can follow businesses and organizations for news and other announcements.
"If you only use WhatsApp to chat with friends and loved ones, there will be no change to your experience at all," Meta said in the press release.
Channel operators will be able to offer subscriptions to exclusive content when the new features roll out.
Channels can also pay to be promoted to the app's 1.5 billion users.
"For the first time, channel admins have a way to increase their channels' visibility," Meta said in the press release.
A company spokesperson told CBS News that Channels will remain free to users.
Meta purchased the app in 2014 and WhatsApp co-founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum left the company after Meta sought ways to monetize the app as well as data privacy concerns, the Wall Street Journal reported in 2018.
In a 2012 blog post, Acton and Koum wrote, "we wanted to make something that wasn't just another ad clearinghouse" and called ads "insults to your intelligence."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Meta Stock Rises as Company Unveils Plans to Introduce WhatsApp Ads—Watch These Key Levels
Shares of Meta Platforms got a boost Monday as the tech giant announced plans to introduce paid advertising to WhatsApp, opening up a new revenue stream. After reclaiming the 50- and 200-day moving averages, Meta shares consolidated within a pennant before decisively breaking out from the pattern earlier this month. Investors should monitor important overhead areas on Meta's chart around $741 and $865, while also watching key support levels near $635 and $ Platforms (META) shares rose Monday as the tech giant announced plans to introduce paid advertising to WhatsApp, a move that expands the company's revenue-generating opportunities. The company, which expects to launch several advertising features globally over the next few months, said that it's introducing channel subscriptions, promoted channels, and ads to its WhatsApp Updates tab, which it says attracts about 1.5 billion users daily. Meta shares, which rose nearly 3% to close around $702 on Monday, have gained 20% since the start of the year and are just 5% below their record high, set in mid-February, as of Monday's close. The stock, which is the top performing member of the Magnificent Seven so far in 2025, has impressed investors with strong AI-driven ad revenue growth and plans to significantly expand its AI capacity. Last week, startup Scale AI said the social media giant had made a "significant new investment" in the company, with the development following reports that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been frustrated with the company's level of AI progress. Below, we take a closer look at Meta's chart and apply technical analysis to identify important price levels that investors will likely be watching. After reclaiming the 50- and 200-day moving averages, Meta shares consolidated within a pennant before decisively breaking out from the pattern earlier this month. Moreover, the relative strength index confirms bullish price momentum and sits below the indicator's overbought threshold to provide room for further upside. However, it's worth noting that stock's rally from its April low has occurred on declining trading volume, suggesting that larger market participant, such as institutional investors, remain on the sidelines. Let's identify two important overhead areas on Meta's chart to monitor if the shares continue climbing and also locate key support levels worth watching during potential pullbacks in the stock. Further upside momentum could see the shares initially climb toward $741. This area on the chart would likely attract significant attention near the stock's all-time high (ATH). Investors can forecast a price target to monitor above the ATH by using the bars pattern tool. When applying the analysis to Meta's chart, we extract the price bars comprising the stock's move higher preceding the pennant and overlay them from the pattern's breakout point. This projects a target of around $865 if a continuation move plays out, implying 23% upside from Monday's closing price. The first key support level to watch sits around $635, just below the pennant pattern's breakout area. The shares may attract buying interest in this location near a series of peaks that formed on the chart between December and March. Finally, a close below this key level could see Meta shares revisit lower support near $603. Investors may seek entry points in this region near the moving averages and a horizontal line that connects a range of corresponding trading activity on the chart stretching back to last October. The comments, opinions, and analyses expressed on Investopedia are for informational purposes only. Read our warranty and liability disclaimer for more info. As of the date this article was written, the author does not own any of the above securities. Read the original article on Investopedia Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Android Authority
3 hours ago
- Android Authority
Move over Ray-Ban, Oakley Meta glasses are arriving this Friday
Oakley TL;DR The Oakley Meta glasses are set to arrive on June 20. The smart glasses will be similar in functionality to the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses and are expected to be geared toward athletes. While Meta is also working on more advanced smart glasses with built-in displays, this Oakley-branded version is expected to skip the display. Oakley and Meta have announced that 'The next evolution is coming on June 20.' This strongly suggests that the two brands are finally ready to unveil the long-awaited and much-rumored successor to the Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses. Both Oakley and Meta have begun teasing the upcoming release on their social media channels. Meta has also launched a sign-up page for those who want to be notified as soon as the glasses are officially released. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Oakley | Meta (@oakleymeta) Although the companies haven't revealed details about the design, specs, or features of the new glasses, their collaboration was previously leaked via Bloomberg. Reportedly codenamed Supernova 2, the new smart glasses will likely offer similar functionality to the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses. While Meta is also working on more advanced smart glasses with built-in displays, this Oakley-branded version is expected to skip the screens. Instead, the Oakley Meta glasses are expected to be geared toward athletes and are said to be based on the Oakley Sphaera model (pictured above). Notably, the design of the new glasses could include a centrally positioned camera instead of the side-mounted style we saw on the Ray-Bans. This change is meant to enhance usability for cyclists and other athletes. Since major hardware upgrades aren't expected, the Oakley Meta glasses will likely be priced similarly to the current Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, starting at approximately $299. Fortunately, we don't have to wait much longer to see exactly what Oakley and Meta have been working on.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
OpenAI wins $200 mn contract with US military
The US Department of Defense on Monday awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to put generative artificial intelligence (AI) to work for the military. San Francisco-based OpenAI will "develop prototype frontier AI capabilities to address critical national security challenges in both warfighting and enterprise domains," according to the department's posting of awarded contracts. The program with the defense department is the first partnership under the startup's initiative to put AI to work in governments, according to OpenAI. OpenAI plans to show how cutting-edge AI can vastly improve administrative operations such as how service members get health care and also cyber defenses, the startup said in a post. All use of AI for the military will be consistent with OpenAI usage guidelines, according to the startup. Big tech companies are increasingly pitching their tools to the US military, among them Meta, OpenAI and, more predictably, Palantir, the AI defense company founded by Peter Thiel, the conservative tech billionaire who has played a major role in Silicon Valley's rightward shift. OpenAI and defense tech startup Anduril Industries late last year announced a partnership to develop and deploy AI solutions "for security missions." The alliance brings together OpenAI models and Anduril's military tech platform to ramp up defenses against aerial drones and other "unmanned aircraft systems", according to the companies. "OpenAI builds AI to benefit as many people as possible, and supports US-led efforts to ensure the technology upholds democratic values," OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said at the time. gc/md
