{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1710922,
        "msgid": "why-do-ads-suddenly-appear-in-whatsapp-status-1777546514",
        "date": "2026-04-30 17:04:00",
        "title": "Why Do Ads Suddenly Appear in WhatsApp Status?",
        "author": "Zulfikar Hardiansyah",
        "source": "KOMPAS",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Business",
        "summary": "WhatsApp has begun displaying ads in users' status updates, similar to those in Facebook and Instagram Stories, marking a shift from previous plans abandoned in 2020. This move is aimed at boosting Meta's advertising revenue, which exceeded $160 billion last year, while the company assures that end-to-end encryption protects message privacy and no phone numbers will be shared with advertisers. Users can control ad personalisation through linked Meta accounts, though the feature has sparked privacy concerns among its global user base, including in Indonesia.",
        "content": "<p>Some users may be quite surprised when viewing status updates on the\nWhatsApp application. This is because WhatsApp (WA) status does not only\ndisplay content from users, but sometimes includes ads interspersed\nwithin it. Therefore, while scrolling and watching WA status, ads can\nsuddenly appear. The format of these ads appearing between WA status\ncontent is similar to ads in Facebook Stories and Instagram Stories. So,\nhow can ads appear in WA status? The idea of placing ads in the WhatsApp\napplication once faced opposition from its founders. In fact, in 2020,\nMeta cancelled plans to launch in-app ads. However, WhatsApp head Will\nCathcart confirmed in 2023 that the company was still working on\nimplementing ads on its platform. Then, last year, WhatsApp finally\nannounced the presence of ads in WA status. All this time, ads have been\nknown as Meta\u2019s largest revenue source (parent of WhatsApp, Instagram,\nFacebook, Threads). Last year, Meta generated more than $160 billion in\nadvertising revenue alone. Displaying ads in WhatsApp status has raised\ncontroversy over user privacy. However, Meta claims that this ad display\nwill not disrupt user privacy. Communication on the WhatsApp platform is\nstill protected by end-to-end encryption, a technology that ensures only\nthe sender and recipient can read the sent messages. \u201cPrivacy is our\nmain foundation. All these ad and promotion interactions remain in a\nseparate space and will not interfere with the messaging experience,\u201d\nsaid Nikila Srinivasan, in a recent virtual media roundtable session\nwith KompasTekno. Separately, in a post on its official blog, WhatsApp\nalso promised \u201cnever to sell or share users\u2019 phone numbers with\nadvertisers\u201d. Although it does not access private message content,\nWhatsApp still uses certain information to tailor the ads displayed in\nWA status. Srinivasan detailed that the information used includes: If\nusers link WhatsApp with other Meta accounts (such as Instagram or\nFacebook) through the Meta Accounts Center feature, preferences from\nthose other platforms can also be used for ad targeting. However,\nWhatsApp emphasises that all these processes remain under user control\nand can be changed at any time. Ads in WA Status are similar to those\nappearing in Instagram Stories. This feature is intended for businesses\n(companies, brands, creators) that want to reach new customers through\nWhatsApp.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/why-do-ads-suddenly-appear-in-whatsapp-status-1777546514",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}