Venus Charumbira
Information and Technology Reporter
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
WhatsApp, the messaging application used by billions worldwide, is planning a major shift that could introduce advertisements for the first time but only in specific sections of the app, and with an option to pay to remove them.
According to recent reports Meta, the company that owns WhatsApp, is preparing an optional subscription plan for users in Europe and the United Kingdom.
The plan would give users a choice to see personalised ads in a designated section of WhatsApp or pay up to keep the app completely ad-free.
The ads would not appear inside private, encrypted chats. Instead, they would be placed only in the Updates tab the area where users currently view Status posts and follow broadcasts from Channels.
“The ads will be rolled out to everyone, not just Europe and the UK, the digital marketing laws of Europe however require a paid ad option for users. In Zimbabwe, our cyber laws are still a bit primitive and underwhelming.” said Thabang Moyo, a tech expert.
Farai Musiyandaka, a regional Information Communication Technology (ICT) officer, noted that WhatsApp has already been testing paid features.
“From our observation since last year, if you post a status it gives an option of paying a dollar to advertise your status,” he said.
“This allows Meta to make money from the public and broadcast side of WhatsApp without changing the private messaging experience that people rely on,” he added.
The move appears to be a direct response to strict privacy regulations in Europe. Meta has already launched a similar pay or consent model for Facebook and Instagram users in the European Union.
These laws restrict how companies can use personal data for advertising without obtaining clear user permission.
However, concerns remain about how the model will be implemented in regions with weaker consumer protections.
“Refusing the ads could be taken as refusing the entire WhatsApp service and there’s no law to protect consumers on such,” said Moyo.
“It is a Meta monetisation strategy, a way of raising money through digital marketing, the cost will depend on the location of your advert as well as the target audience.” Musiyandaka said.
He noted that WhatsApp now has more than 45 million users globally and that the introduction of ads is also a way to regulate content.
“There is a lot of abuse online. Introducing ads is a way to put control on what people post and also avoid fake news.”
He stressed that the changes do not affect person to person communication. It does not affect private messaging, it is only applicable in a bigger community.
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