Teams at Meta have discussed whether to show ads in lists of conversations with contacts on the WhatsApp chat screen, but no final decisions have been made, the report said, citing three people familiar with the matter.
Meta is also considering whether to charge a subscription fee to use the app ad-free, the report said, adding that many company insiders were against the move.
Meta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
In June, Meta gave employees a sneak peek at a range of AI tools it was building, including ChatGPT-like chatbots planned for Messenger and WhatsApp that could talk to different personas.
In March, WhatsApp agreed to be more transparent about changes to its privacy policy introduced in 2021, following complaints from consumer groups across Europe.
The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) and the European Network of Consumer Authorities told WhatsApp last year that they had failed to clarify the changes in clear and understandable language, which breached the bloc’s laws.
WhatsApp agreed to explain changes to EU users’ contracts and how they might affect their rights, and agreed to prominently display the ability for users to accept or reject the changes and opt out allow users to easily close pop-up notifications about updates.
The company also confirmed that users’ personal data will not be shared with third parties or other Meta Companies, including Facebook, for advertising purposes.
“Consumers have the right to understand what they are agreeing to and what that choice actually entails, so that they can decide whether they want to continue using the platform,” Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders had said at the time.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
