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, owned by Meta Platforms, will introduce ads in the app's Updates tab, used by 1.5 billion people daily. The ads aim to create a new revenue stream without altering the personal messaging experience.

WhatsApp will instead use the country, city and language of the user, as well as how they interact with other ads and which channels they follow, to drive suggested content. But people who have chosen to link their WhatsApp account to Facebook or Instagram will see more personalised ads.