You'll get to choose which ads to see in WhatsApp
What's the story
WhatsApp is working on a feature that will let users manage their ad preferences for statuses and channels. The development comes after the release of WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.25.19.14. The facility will be accessible through the Updates tab and main settings, providing information about all recently viewed ads. Each ad will be listed with its date of appearance, enabling users to track their exposure and remember specific promotions they may want to engage with or avoid later on.
User control
List of advertisers will be shown
Along with advertisement history, WhatsApp will also provide a list of advertisers whose ads have been shown to the user recently. From this list, users will be able to permanently hide ads from specific advertisers, preventing them from showing their content in the user's status or channels feed in the future. However, if users decide to change their preferences later on, they can restore visibility for any previously hidden advertiser through the same screen.
Privacy assurance
End-to-end encryption reminder
WhatsApp shall prominently display a clear reminder to users at the top of the ad preferences section. The reminder will emphasize that their messages, voice calls, video calls, and status updates are protected by end-to-end encryption. This implies these private forms of communication remain confidential and secure from ad targeting. Only the sender and recipient can access their content.
Ad targeting
What is WhatsApp's ads policy?
WhatsApp has a strict ads policy that ensures that the content of communications is completely off-limits to advertising algorithms. The ad targeting depends on limited, non-personal information such as a user's city or country, app language, channels followed, as well as engagement with previous ads. For those who opt to link their WhatsApp account with Meta's Accounts Center, extra information like ad preferences from other Meta apps may be used to improve ad relevance.