ET Exclusive: WhatsApp ads will not bother most users, privacy stays intact, assures head Will Cathcart

WhatsApp’s ability to monetise the platform has helped businesses and users to unlock new value while also keeping the private, secure experience of the app intact, Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp at Meta. The company on Monday announced plans to show ads inside the messaging app for the first time. The ads will appear within the ‘Updates’ tab, and will not bother users of chats and calls that remain end-to-end encrypted, Cathcart told ET’s Himanshi Lohchab in an exclusive interview in San Francisco.