WhatsApp is set to display ads as Meta has revealed that businesses can now promote their products and services through the platform's status feature. This update was announced on Monday.

The status feature, located within WhatsApp's 'Updates' tab, allows users to share disappearing text, photos, voice notes, or video messages. In addition to updates from friends and family, users may now encounter sponsored content.

Meta states that the ads will be personalized based on limited information such as your location, language, followed channels, and ad interaction. Users can adjust their ad preferences through Meta's Accounts Center if they have opted into the hub.

According to Meta, the Updates tab is the ideal place for these new features to operate without disrupting personal chats. The company assures users that their phone numbers will not be sold or shared with advertisers and that messages, calls, or groups will not be used for ad targeting.

In addition to ads, Meta will introduce promoted channels when users click on the Explore button to discover new channels to follow. Users will also have the option to subscribe to channels for exclusive updates.