Facebook abandons plan to sell ads in WhatsApp, report says

The company still aims to bring ads to WhatsApp's Status feature.

Abrar Al-Heeti Video producer / CNET

Abrar Al-Heeti is a video host and producer for CNET, with an interest in internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. Before joining the video team, she was a writer for CNET's culture team. She graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Though Illinois is home, she now loves San Francisco -- steep inclines and all.

Expertise Abrar has spent her career at CNET breaking down the latest trends on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram, while also reporting on diversity and inclusion initiatives in Hollywood and Silicon Valley. Credentials

Named a Tech Media Trailblazer by the Consumer Technology Association in 2019, a winner of SPJ NorCal's Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2022 and has three times been a finalist in the LA Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards.

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Abrar Al-Heeti

Jan. 16, 2020 2:36 p.m. PT

Facebook no longer plans to sell ads in WhatsApp, according to a report.

Angela Lang/CNET

Facebook has reportedly abandoned its plan to sell ads in messaging platform WhatsApp, according to a Thursday report by The Wall Street Journal. The company's decision to bring ads to the app is reportedly what led to the departure of WhatsApp's creators around two years ago.

In recent months, WhatsApp dissolved a team dedicated to figuring out how to best integrate ads into the platform, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. That team's work was reportedly removed from WhatsApp's code.

Facebook still plans to potentially bring ads to WhatsApp's Status feature, a company representative confirmed, though they didn't share a specific timeline for the move. The social media giant has been grappling with how to monetize WhatsApp, which it acquired in 2014 for $19 billion. Facebook says it's currently focused on features that let businesses connect with customers.

First published Jan. 16, 2:36 p.m. PT.
Update, 2:54 p.m.: Adds comment from Facebook.

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