Much like Zuckerberg did during Facebook's early years, WhatsApp's founders shun ads. But unlike Facebook, which now relies on advertisements for the bulk of its revenue, WhatsApp remains ad-free.
Users who download WhatsApp on their phones are greeted with a link that reads "Why we don't sell ads." The link leads to a quote from Tyler Durden, the anti-establishment character from the 1996 novel "Fight Club."
"Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy things we don't need," it reads.
A note from Koum follows with more details.
"These days companies know literally everything about you, your friends, your interests, and they use it all to sell ads," writes Koum. "No one wakes up excited to see more advertising, no one goes to sleep thinking about the ads they'll see tomorrow. We know people go to sleep excited about who they chatted with that day (and disappointed about who they didn't). We want WhatsApp to be the product that keeps you awake."
