WhatsApp Backs Off Controversial Plan to Sell Ads
January 16 2020 - 4:18PM
Dow Jones News
By Jeff Horwitz and Kirsten Grind
Facebook Inc. is backing away from efforts to sell ads in
WhatsApp, marking a retreat from a controversial plan that drove
the creators of the popular messaging service to resign more than
18 months ago, according to people familiar with the matter.
WhatsApp in recent months disbanded a team that had been
established to find the best ways to integrate ads into the
service, according to people familiar with the matter. The team's
work was then deleted from WhatsApp's code, the people said.
The shift marks a setback in the social-media giant's quest to
monetize WhatsApp, which it bought in a blockbuster $22 billion
acquisition in 2014 that has yet to pay financial dividends despite
the service being used by more than 1.5 billion people
globally.
The company eventually plans to introduce ads into its Status
feature -- an ephemeral posting feature similar to Instagram's
Stories -- but for now the focus is on features allowing businesses
to communicate with customers and organize those contacts, said one
person familiar with the matter.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 16, 2020 16:03 ET (21:03 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024