Meta has confirmed it will start showing ads in WhatsApp’s “Updates” tab, prompting outrage from its 2.8 billion users—many deriding it as the “dumbest idea ever.” Advertising will target users based on location and channel engagement, though Meta maintains that private messages remain encrypted and off limits. Users are now considering migration to privacy-minded alternatives like Signal and Telegram. The move conflicts with prior WhatsApp assurances of an ad‑free status.


 nypost.com