But people who have chosen to link their WhatsApp account to Facebook or Instagram will see more personalised ads. The new ad features will appear in a section called Updates, which is a separate tab at the bottom of the app. WhatsApp claims to have 1.5 billion users globally.

They will appear in only one part of the Meta-owned messaging service, it said. The move is potentially lucrative, while raising questions about user privacy.

WhatsApp says that users will start seeing ads in some parts of the app, as owner Meta Platforms moves to a cultivate a new revenue stream by tapping the billions of people that use the messaging serv