The thing that bothers everyone has come in WhatsApp, and a separate feature has come for privacy.

WhatsApp has confirmed the launch of status ads and promoted channels globally. According to the company, ads will now appear in WhatsApp status so that businesses can reach new customers and start conversations directly inside the app. Along with this, channels will also be promoted in the directory, so that the selected channels can reach more users.

The company has clarified that personal chats, calls and status updates will be end-to-end encrypted and will not be used for targeted advertising. Ads will only appear in the Status and Channels sections, where users are already primed to discover new content. Businesses will be able to promote through text, photos, videos, stickers and polls. Under Promoted Channels, companies will be able to show their channels higher in the directory by paying.

If you don’t want to watch ads, you will have to pay.
To give control to the users, WhatsApp has also provided the facility that they can block or hide the advertisements of a particular business. This will give more control over the content visible in the Updates tab. In some areas, the company may also offer a subscription option for an ad-free experience, under which ads will not be visible in statuses and channels. However, its price and availability may vary according to the country and platform.

Photo: WABetaInfo

SIM binding rule came into effect
Meanwhile, new rules have been implemented for messaging platforms in India. Under the SIM-binding directive of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), WhatsApp will require every Indian user to automatically logout from WhatsApp Web every six hours.

This step has been taken in view of national security concerns. The government has set the deadline for compliance as 28 February 2026 and has made it clear that no extension will be given.

Overall, while on one hand WhatsApp is opening new opportunities for business and advertising on its platform, it is also claiming to maintain personal privacy. It will be interesting to see in the coming times how users adopt these changes.