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WhatsApp’s top head on Friday denied a Financial Times report that said the Meta Platforms owned messaging platform was exploring advertisements as it sought to boost revenue.
“This @FT story is false. We aren’t doing this,” WhatsApp head Will Cathcart said in a post on social media X, formerly known as Twitter.
This @FT story is false. We aren’t doing this.
Also it looks like you misspelled Brian’s name… https://t.co/Z47z9FC5yu
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) September 15, 2023
The FT report said that teams at Meta have been discussing whether to show ads in lists of conversations with contacts on the WhatsApp chat screen, but no final decisions had been made.
Meta is also deliberating whether to charge a subscription fee to use the app ad-free, the report said, citing three people familiar with the matter.
FT also said many company insiders were against the move.
Facebook bought WhatsApp, which has always been a free chat app, in 2014 for $19 billion.
Meta has already been working to boost revenue from WhatsApp. CEO Mark Zuckerberg last year said that WhatsApp and Messenger would drive the company’s next wave of sales growth, with business messaging “probably going to be the next major pillar” of Meta’s business.
