Source: Meta
WhatsApp is rolling out new ad features internationally, so if you find yourself seeing more ads than usual, that's why. The Meta-owned platform assures that you will not see them in the same place as your private chats, and your messages will not be used to dictate what ads will be shown, as your messages are encrypted.
Instead, WhatsApp will use your country, city, and language, alongside which ads you interact with and what channels you follow. Now, if your WhatsApp is linked to your Facebook or Instagram, that would offer more personalized ads. You will spot these new features in the section Updates.
Businesses can promote their ads in this section, too. They can even charge a subscription to access extra content. Companies can advertise in status updates—similar to how an Instagram story looks—and have links where a chat can be started if clicked on. WhatsApp also plans to take a 10% commission on that subscription fee. Plus, there could be additional costs for businesses on an app store level, depending on the size of your company.