Dive Brief:
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WhatsApp is reportedly testing a system that will allow businesses to communicate directly with WhatsApp users, according to communications about the project seen by Reuters.
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The Facebook-owned company first announced plans to connect its user base of more than one billion with businesses last August. Now it appears the company is testing the system with "a handful" of companies.
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WhatsApp is also asking users about whether or not they are open to talking to businesses on WhatsApp, according to the report.
Dive Insight:
WhatsApp is certainly popular, but monetizing that popularity is key to making back some of the $19 billion Facebook spent on the company in 2014. Charging businesses to allow them to contact customers on WhatsApp could certainly be lucrative, but only if it doesn’t drive users away.
WhatsApp has been careful to portray such potential exchanges as things like delivery tracking or talking to an airline about a delayed flight. But marketing messages have not yet been ruled out.
Not everyone supports the idea. When WhatsApp first announced its plan last summer, it sparked complaints from users and European regulators keen on protecting user privacy.
