Facebook-owned chat service WhatsApp could be preparing its grand plan to finally make some money, but the app’s 1 billion users are unlikely to be too pleased.
According to internal communications spied by Reuters, the company wants to charge businesses for direct access to WhatsApp users.
The alleged documents claim the wildly popular service is attempting to find ways to implicate such a program without exposing to heavy spam.
As such, it is currently surveying users about whether they’ve ever received spam, the report says.
Related: WhatsApp tips and tricks
The company’s previous revenue source – a small annual subscription fee – was dropped last year, leaving WhatsApp without a stream of incoming cash.
WhatsApp has been steadily adding long-requested features like GIF support, video calling, two-factor authentication and a revamp of the status page.
All of these updates have greatly benefitted users, but opening them up to contact from businesses could undo some of that goodwill.
Would you welcome the ability to chat with firms via WhatsApp? Share your thoughts below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
