As WhatsApp’s introduction of targeted ads goes to show, “if you’re not paying for it, you’re not the customer, you’re the product.” https://www.theverge.com/news/687519/whatsapp-launch-advertising-status-updates
WhatsApp is officially getting ads

WhatsApp is getting ads, as Meta has announced that it will now allow businesses to promote their products and services through its status feature.

The Verge
@threemaapp
>> Die Einführung von gezielter Werbung durch #WhatsApp zeigt: "Wenn du nicht dafür bezahlst, bist du nicht der Kunde, sondern das Produkt." <<
#threema #threemaapp #3maRTdeutsch #deletewhatsapp

@threemaapp Form the article: 'The company says it “will never sell or share your phone numbers to advertisers,” adding that it won’t use your messages, calls, or groups to inform its ads.'

...
My take:
That's because we won't give away information that we could sell targeted ads with. Why would we sell the data that would allow others to do intelligence and targeting themselves?

@neuron @threemaapp so targeted Ads as a service 🤷‍♂️

@threemaapp

Back maybe in 90s or early 2000s there was the joke that on a phone call they might put ads to it like "this call is presented by ..."

Now it sort of comes true. Maybe it hwlps convincing more of my contacts going away from WA

@threemaapp ach? Warum wundert mich das gar nicht?
@threemaapp und dennoch werden die meisten Lemminge es weiter nutzen, was macht schon das bisschen Werbung.
@threemaapp Even more of a reason for people to switch to Signal.