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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[–] razorcandy@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I’m more surprised it took them this long. Thankfully there are already many decent alternative messaging apps.

[–] mybuttnolie@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

but still nobody is going to switch. whenever i try to convince people to switch, they just defend whatsapp and I'm a whiner

[–] herrvogel@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Or they do switch but for like 1 day and then go back to messaging you on WhatsApp. I tried switching to signal at least a couple times, even convinced a couple groups to move, but not a single chat lasted more than a couple weeks. Eventually they all went back to WhatsApp. Every single one. It's extremely difficult to get people to care.

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[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 19 points 1 day ago (5 children)
[–] myrmidex@lemmy.nogods.be 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The best time to quit was 10 years ago. The second-best time is now.

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[–] t_berium@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago (4 children)

Looks like I need an alternative. An alternative for which there is still no prospect of enshitification. Which services are neither American, Chinese nor Russian? Anything from Europe?

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[–] mazzilius_marsti@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago

These ads on messaging services are out of control

so...... back to owl mail then?

[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

Signal doesnt have ads...

[–] Redex68@lemmy.world 0 points 16 hours ago (8 children)

I see a lot of people saying it's time to switch to Signal, and I mean I agree in principle, it's my main messaging app, but I don't see how it can scale. It runs off of donations and the only reason it's still functioning is because the users that are there are above averagely passionate about it and willing to donate. If it became the defacto messaging app I fear that there is no way they would be capable of financing that level of traffic.

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[–] espentan@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

Uninstalled.

Luckily I/people I interact with never used it much.

[–] Mynameisallen@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

whatsapp-free since 2023!

[–] Tillman@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago (11 children)

Always a bit shocked to learn people still use WhatsApp.

[–] insaneinthemembrane@lemmy.world 1 points 19 hours ago

All of my community groups are on there, including the school parents one. My choice is to not participate in the community or have Whatsapp... Or worse, Facebook.

[–] imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 20 hours ago

I had to do it because many use it and I was not. If you want to communicate in certain parts of the world, this is the only way. I wish everyone would go to Signal or Telegram but everyone are not me.

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[–] Kusimulkku@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago

through its Stories-like status feature.

Eh, I've only seen it because of a misclick

[–] SieYaku@chachara.club 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

For my the best choose is XMPP... More choices, federated, simple and very secure with Omemo. You don't have the security issues like you do in WhatsApp, Telegram or Matrix (who's principal server is in economic problems matrix.org). And Signal... Well it's a long journey and can take very bad turns cause is private and has big ties with the US and big corp, still is and option and you can use the fork Molly.

[–] Broken@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Out of curiosity, do you use your xmpp app for SMS as well? I've been doing so (since the majority of my family will not leave the SMS messaging system) but its a bit lacking when it comes to groups and MMS.

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[–] ieatpwns@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

That must be the reason they’ve been putting out more ads about chats being secure between both chatters. A misdirection so they can personalize your ads to your conversations

[–] pinesolcario@lemy.lol 1 points 23 hours ago

Considering the zero byte article using anything from Meta is a FAFO moment.

[–] Opinionhaver@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago

Seems like I'm not in the target audience for these ads. I have absolutely zero clue what any of the things mentioned above are. I use WhatsApp to send messages.

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