WhatsApp Shelves Russia Launch of Channels Service After Ban Threats Over Ukraine War

WhatsApp drops launch of Channels service in Russia over ban threat
U.S. tech company Meta will not launch service following warnings it could be blocked
Russia threatened to block WhatsApp if Channels distributed "banned information"
Russia blacklisted Meta as an "extremist" organization after invasion of Ukraine
WhatsApp has over 73 million estimated users in Russia

themoscowtimes.com

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9/15/2023

WhatsApp Denies Plans to Show Ads Despite Meta's Push to Monetize the Chat App

Meta has denied reports that it is considering integrating ads into WhatsApp, stating that it has no plans to do so and is instead focusing on monetizing the messaging app through WhatsApp Business.