They will appear in only one part of the Meta-owned messaging service, it said. The move is potentially lucrative, while raising questions about user privacy.

We don't sell ads', they said in a 2012 blog post quoting Tyler Durden from Fight Club.

WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, will introduce ads in the app's Updates tab, used by 1.5 billion people daily. The ads aim to create a new revenue stream without altering the personal messaging experience.