this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2025
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WhatsApp is rolling out ads. In an update on Monday, Meta announced that it will now show ads from businesses through its Stories-like status feature.

Meta says it will tailor the ads to your interests by using “limited” information, including your country or city, language, the channels you follow, and how you interact with ads on the platform. You can also change your ad preferences from Meta’s Accounts Center.

This isn’t the only change Meta is making to WhatsApp. The company will also start showing promoted channels when you click on the Explore button to find new ones to follow. It’s also rolling out the ability to subscribe to channels to “receive exclusive updates” as well.

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[–] Auth@lemmy.world 48 points 13 hours ago (7 children)
  • provide free app at a loss

  • grow massive user base and market share

  • squeeze your userbase for every cent they're worth

Every single time. We got to solve the funding issue some how, I dont want to live in a future run by ads.

[–] Susurrus@lemm.ee 9 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

It's not very easy to solve the issue of infinite growth in a world with finite resources. The fundamental issue is that it's just not physically possible, but they keep trying. Either we continue this cycle and eventually destroy the planet irreversibly, or we acknowledge that maybe money isn't everything, and that maybe [the vast majority of] people aren't inherently egoitistical monsters, and we move on to different systems.

[–] tarknassus@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

The enshittification process in a nutshell.

[–] ely@mastodon.green 3 points 9 hours ago
[–] bonjour@mander.xyz 10 points 12 hours ago (2 children)

WhatsApp was not free and already had a massive user base before Facebook bought it.

Hope this will turn people to alternatives.

[–] Darleys_Brew@lemmy.ml 3 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Wasn’t it like a quid to sign up?

[–] bonjour@mander.xyz 3 points 8 hours ago

Yeah it was something like that, very low price compared to what SMS were charged for.

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[–] Ronno@feddit.nl 18 points 12 hours ago

This is such great news! More ammo to use when trying to convince friends and family to move away from WhatsApp

[–] JamonBear@sh.itjust.works 9 points 10 hours ago (4 children)

delta.chat

The enshittify proof alternative!

[–] rdri@lemmy.world 5 points 8 hours ago

...Electron inside.

[–] SpiderUnderUrBed@lemmy.zip 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)
[–] buttnugget@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

I believe it is centralized but it is certainly an alternative to WhatsApp. My understanding is that it’s encrypted and privacy centric.

[–] ace_garp@lemmy.world 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, encrypted chats packetised over SMTP layer.

Smooth as silk for a year and a half.

Send pics, voicemails, files, videos, and video-chat(via Jitsi integration)

Arcane-chat app does location sharing too.

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[–] aeternum@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

I hope Signal does this too!

- no one ever.

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[–] Jaybird@lemmy.world 101 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

"We will never show you ads in WhatsApp. We promise". --Facebook when they bought WhatsApp and promised the previous owner not to force ads in the app...

[–] InnerScientist@lemmy.world 31 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I wonder if anyone believed them at the time

[–] Jaybird@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

If they did not, they at least ignored that instinct and kept using WhatsApp...

How do we get people to stop ignoring their better instincts in things like this?

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[–] Corn@lemmy.ml 4 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (6 children)

Do you have WhatsApp?

No Telegram?

I dont have that one, none of the clients seem to work on my phone... Wechat?

Cant verify, SMS doesnt get through. LINE?

lol I dont have a japanese number. Kakaotalk?

No... ...discord?

Sure!

Shit he's 30 seconds from finding out Im a furry.

[–] Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

none of the clients seem to work on my phone

Hm, first time I hear that one to be honest.

[–] Corn@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 hours ago (4 children)

When I tried to move my family to Telegram, only 2 managed to successfully install and verify a client.

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[–] sp3ctr4l@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 16 hours ago (4 children)

I forgot WhatsApp existed.

Guess its shittier now.

Mhm. Yup.

[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 21 points 14 hours ago

It's the go-to messagging app in my country for historical reasons.

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[–] zebidiah@lemmy.ca 20 points 18 hours ago

I literally just got my senior citizen dad off Skype and over to WhatsApp like 2 years ago... Ain't no way I can get him over to signal

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