WhatsApp Deadline postponed: You still have so much time to make a decision
The tech group Meta plans to expand WhatsApp to include a new advertising model, including targeted advertisements in the “update” area and an optional subscription for exclusive channel content. In the first countries, the rollout is expected to start in the next few months. However, the following applies to users in the EU: before 2026, the introduction is not expected.
The planned advertising functions come up against criticism among data protection users, above all because Meta wants to include user data from linked accounts of Facebook and Instagram. Although the company emphasises that this is only done with explicit approval, many organizations remain sceptical. Finally, it is about sensitive information and cross-platform tracking.
Data protection contractors break up WhatsApp until 2026
According to the European policy news website Politico, the Irish Data Protection Authority has now been officially informed about the EU delay plan. The new functions, together with other European authorities, will be examined closely, they said in a statement. A start in the EU before 2026 is not planned, but concrete talks are still pending.
Meta speaks with the new advertising model of a worldwide update, which is to be rolled out in different countries. According to the company, the new functions are as data protection-friendly as possible. Whether the consent to advertising is actually perceived by users as voluntary remains questionable.
The Group must therefore first cooperate with the data protection authorities and clarify open questions. For you, this means: before 2026, there will be no advertising in the Messenger, and you don’t need to make any decision if usage data from other Meta services will be used. Elsewhere, however, an acute danger is threatened – currently,y dubious calls are frequent with the area code +43 from Austria.
