Even as analysts said that WhatsApp’s decision to change its privacy policy, which entails sharing users’ account info with parent Facebook, is not a user friendly move, they believe most consumers will stick with the platform and not migrate to other instant messengers yet. WhatsApp said the move will help Facebook offer more targeted advertisements on its own platform, while WhatsApp will continue to be ad-free.
“This is not a move for the consumers. They have no say…have been given no choice. In addition, they will be targeted with more advertisements,” Sanchit Vir Gogia, Chief Analyst & CEO, Greyhound Research said.
He added that while Facebook has been able to monetise the other platforms it runs, such as Instagram and Facebook Messenger, it has not been able to do the same with WhatsApp.
“WhatsApp offers huge opportunity…Facebook’s network will become a lot bigger, and so will the advertising opportunity,” he added. However, he added that this will not lead to reduction in number of users for the popular instant messenger as at present there is no other messenger with such huge base of users.
Source: The Hindu