WhatsApp recently confirmed that advertising is gradually rolling out to a significant portion of its users. According to a new help page, people using the app

WhatsApp will introduce paid adverts in its ‘status’ section globally, marking a shift from its ad-free roots. Personal messages will remain encrypted, Meta says.

WhatsApp said ads will be targeted to users based on information like the user’s age, the country or city where they’re located, the language they’re using, the channels they’re following in the app, and how they’re interacting with the ads they see.