June 16 (UPI) -- The messaging service WhatsApp on Monday will begin to display ads for the first time as parent company Meta seeks to make business changes to the encrypted global platform.
Billions of international users of the popular messaging app will see business ads in its "updates" tab as Meta begins to monetize the WhatsApp "channels" feature with paid subscriptions and search advertising. In addition, business will have the option to run "status ads" that prompt a WhatsApp user to interact with advertisers on messenger.
Officials say, however, that WhatsApp will only collect limited private data used to target ads.
"Your personal messages, calls and statuses, they will remain end-to-end encrypted," Nikila Srinivasan, Meta and WhatsApp's VP of product management, told The New York Times.
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