WhatsApp ads are coming for our feeds but people in some countries are lucky to avoid seeing ads on the messaging app. WhatsApp confirmed the ads will show in Status updates and Channels, assures you will never see ads between your chats, but the company faces regulator scrutiny because of which ads cannot be shown in all the markets. 

WhatsApp is going to face the wrath of the European Union authorities, which means people in these regions will be saved from ads on the messaging app. 

WhatsApp Ads, User Data: No Chance 

We’ve always felt ads were inevitable on WhatsApp, purely because it is owned by Meta (Facebook back then) and the company had spent north of $19 billion to buy the platform more than 10 years ago. WhatsApp ads will be personalised, like Meta does with other platforms under its roster but promises it will never read your chats or content to make it specific. 

However, the company will be using details like what device you are using, which city/country you live in etc. The EU regulators are strict about these policies, and Meta is well aware of the consequences if you breach any of its rules. WhatsApp will have to mend these policies as well, which means EU users will avoid seeing ads anywhere, at least until 2026. 

These timelines have been passed on to Meta, which is why WhatsApp does not mention the EU regions in its list to get ads. Having said that, going by the scrutiny around Meta and its ownership of some powerful apps, EU could eventually delay the roll out of ads even further. The company had to pull off a similar deal for Facebook and Instagram which now offers a paid version so that people in the region do not see ads and are not tracked by the platforms. 

These rules are becoming imperative for all the regions and the US is gradually working its way into a similar structure. But countries like India, where WhatsApp has over 400 million daily active users, have become ripe for these strategies, which will be of concern to its users in the long run.