WhatsApp · WhatsApp Privacy Policy · View original document ↗

Businesses May Send Marketing Messages To Users

Medium severity Explicitdocumentlanguage Common · 122 of 352 platforms
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Recent governance activity WhatsApp recorded 32 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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This analysis describes what WhatsApp's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

Medium Jun 22, 2026

The updated policy removes an unconditional statement of intent and replaces it with conditional language: 'We have no intention to introduce them, but if we ever do, we will update this Privacy Policy.' This revision reserves WhatsApp's right to introduce ad formats in Status and Channels in the future, subject only to updating the privacy policy at that time. The prior language established a stronger commitment; the updated language is more permissive. No specific consumer action is required; the change is informational regarding WhatsApp's future flexibility on advertising formats.

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Medium Jun 5, 2026

The updated terms no longer state that WhatsApp has no intention to introduce ads in Status and Channels. Instead, the revised language indicates that if ads are introduced in these features, WhatsApp will update its privacy policy to reflect the change. This means the company has reserved the option to add ads to Status and Channels in the future, subject to policy update notification.

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Medium Apr 19, 2026

The updated policy now explicitly discloses that users 'may see other types of ads in Status and Channels,' whereas the prior language stated WhatsApp had 'no intention to introduce' new ad types. This represents a shift from a stated commitment not to expand advertising toward an explicit acknowledgment that new ad categories may appear on WhatsApp's social features. The policy also updated its regional privacy guidance by removing a reference to Thai Personal Data Protection Act rights and adding a new section directing US residents to WhatsApp's United States Regional Privacy Notice for information about their consumer privacy rights under US law.

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Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
3
Months Monitored
Jul 10, 2026
First Seen
Jul 10, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 361 other provisions on other platforms.

How other platforms handle this

Stability AI Medium

Even if I sell my models? No, unless you're making over USD $1M of annual revenue, regardless of the source of that revenue, then the Core Models and Derivative Works thereof are free

Kick Medium

you agree that Company may run Platform Advertisements on or around your User Content (including within streams) and that Company is not responsible for any conflict between Platform Advertisements and your own third party sponsorships...

Venmo Medium

We may restrict the use of your Venmo account, including any business profile, if the selling activity through the account...reaches certain thresholds, involves certain activities or violates any terms between you and us.

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Businesses may send you transaction, appointment, and shipping notifications; product and service updates; and marketing. For example, you may receive flight status information for upcoming travel...

— Excerpt from WhatsApp's WhatsApp Privacy Policy

Applicable regulations

DMA
European Union
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
WhatsApp Privacy Policy
Entity
WhatsApp
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
July 9, 2026
Last verified
July 9, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-030120
Document ID
CA-D-00176
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
454d96d4e64ccebb1f334c0556638651c7de109fc425fa2573cd35b326d7bea0
Analysis generated
July 9, 2026 06:34 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: WhatsApp
Document: WhatsApp Privacy Policy
Record ID: CA-P-030120
Captured: 2026-07-09 06:34:41 UTC
SHA-256: 454d96d4e64ccebb…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/whatsapp/whatsapp-privacy-policy/provision/CA-P-030120/businesses-may-send-marketing-messages-to-users/
Accessed: July 12, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does WhatsApp's Businesses May Send Marketing Messages To Users clause do?

The clause states: “Businesses may send you transaction, appointment, and shipping notifications; product and service updates; and marketing. For example, you may receive flight status information for upcoming travel...”

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 122 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with WhatsApp?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by WhatsApp.