If you’ve used WhatsApp you know after a year of usage the service would prompt you to pay a $1 fee, but now they’re cutting the annual subscription fee. They’re not opting for display ads, instead they’re talking about having businesses and brands messaging you with information about flights or fraudulent bank charges.
Facebook is working on similar messaging features where brands or businesses can messages users. They’re going to extend the idea to WhatsApp for better or worse, but on the bright side display ads or pop up ads aren’t going to become the norm in the messaging app.
The company reports over 500 million active users dwarfing services competing and social media platform Twitter. I don’t have a lot of friends using the service, but overseas the service is widely used and known. Facebook wants to dominate messaging, and cutting the subscription fee could help the service grow among the young teens who don’t have a credit or debit card.
WhatsApp has already announced end to end encryption which should go into full effect next month. The company wants to keep everyone connected world-wide, and they run in nations like China, United States, and Russia who all have tried to listen in on messages. They’re connecting users who don’t have access to normal messages services in India, rural United States, to China.
Tell us in the comments below if you use WhatsApp for your daily messaging needs, and if you do what you think about the company dropping the annual subscription fee.