Facebook previously unveiled plans in 2018 to include ads on its popular WhatsApp messaging service. The move was decided in order to generate revenue from the app, but it seems that the company has reportedly abandoned the plan altogether.
According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, individuals familiar with the matter have revealed that Facebook has recently dissolved a WhatsApp team dedicated to figuring out how to best integrate ads into the platform. Additionally, the team’s work was reportedly removed from the app’s code as well.
However, it appears that Facebook is still planning to introduce ads to the platform at some point. Cnet reports that a company representative had confirmed that the social media giant may include ads to WhatsApp’s Status feature, but did not reveal a specific timeline for the move.
For now, Facebook has shifted its focus to generate revenue from businesses by allowing them to communicate with customers on the messaging service platform. An update introduced to WhatsApp Business back in November allowed customers to browse product catalogues sold by businesses.
