WhatsApp users can breathe a sigh of relief, at least for now, with the latest report indicating WhatsApp is not bringing ads to the platform.
There have been rumors and threats of ads in WhatsApp for years, even leading WhatsApp’s founders to leave Facebook at great financial loss to themselves. Despite the rumors and the obvious appeal for Facebook, sources told TheStreet that Zuckerberg and company have no intention of bringing ads to WhatsApp at this time.
That’s not to say there won’t be some efforts to monetize the platform. WhatsApp cost Facebook a small fortune, a fortune it has yet to repay. The company is looking at a number of options, including building on WhatsApp’s business services, charging a monthly subscription, and charging for businesses to integrate WhatsApp into their sites and services.
Ultimately, Facebook needs to start making money off of WhatsApp, meaning that some changes are bound to happen sooner rather than later. At least ads don’t seem to be coming to the platform…at least not yet.