UPDATED: WhatsApp denies report that the platform is exploring ads

cde.news desk 15 September 2023, 06:45 · 1 min read

Sept 15 (Reuters) – WhatsApp’s top head on Friday denied a Financial Times report that said the Meta Platforms META.O 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.

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.

Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.