WhatsApp's public broadcasting Channel feature is seeing significant growth among users in India, according to product head Alice Newton-Rex who recently visited the country. Channels were launched over a year ago to allow users follow topics and organizations without cluttering their chats.
Newton-Rex highlighted national and international accounts gaining popularity on Channels. WhatsApp is working to boost visibility of smaller creators through recommendations. Head of engineering Nitin Gupta said Facebook and Instagram have strong recommendation systems and they're exploring adapting such technology for WhatsApp.
When asked about monetizing Channels, Newton-Rex said they see potential for admins to build businesses by letting users subscribe for a fee or promoting their Channel in a directory.
To curb misinformation, Newton-Rex cited fact-checking organizations and news outlets having popular Channels. Inappropriate Channel content can be reported. WhatsApp's AI assistant Meta AI is another way users can verify messages by asking questions.
AI is a key frontier for WhatsApp consumers and businesses, noted Newton-Rex. Users are utilizing Meta AI for homework help or language practice without knowing it's AI. No details were provided on future AI features.
Privacy will remain core on WhatsApp as Indian users want private chats, said Newton-Rex. Features like Chat Lock addressing households sharing devices were praised. While Scheduled Messages is a common request, unnecessary features could overwhelm users.
