Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta on Thursday launched WhatsApp Channels, which the company says is a simple, reliable and private way to receive important updates from people and organisations, within the messaging platform. This is similar to what Telegram has done; Telegram channels allows users to broadcast information or content to all followers.
Meta-owned WhatsApp said it will bring Channels to more countries, including India, and the ability for anyone to create a channel over the coming months. WhatsApp Channels will be launched in partnership with global voices and select organisations in Colombia and Singapore, where Channels will first become available, followed by other countries.
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Through WhatsApp Channels, admins can have a one-way broadcast tool for sending texts, photos, videos, stickers, and polls.
The Meta-owned messaging platform is building Channels in a new tab called Updates - where users will find Status and channels they choose to follow - separate from their chats with family, friends, and communities. WhatsApp Channels aspires to be the most private broadcast messaging product available and will come with the strong privacy protections people expect from WhatsApp.
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“Today we're announcing WhatsApp Channels -- a private way to follow people and organizations that matter to you, right within WhatsApp. We are starting in Singapore and Colombia, but will roll out to everyone later this year. We're building Channels to be the most private way to communicate. As a channel admin, your phone number won't be shown to followers, and following a channel won't show that to the admin or others following the channel either. One of WhatsApp’s core principles is to not store your messages. That's why channel updates will only be available for 30 days with no permanent record. We're just getting started with Channels. And I can't wait to bring this to everyone later this year," Zuckerberg, said in a statement.