Facebook not to sell ads on WhatsApp

Facebook has reportedly decided not to sell ads on WhatsApp - a controversial plan that forced Brian Acton and Jan Koum, founders of the messaging application, to quit about two years ago.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, WhatsApp recently dissolved a team that was created to map out the best ways to integrate ads into the service.

"The team's work was then deleted from WhatsApp's code," the report added, quoting people familiar with the matter.

There was no official statement from Facebook on the report.

WhatsApp co-founder Acton left the company in 2017, and CEO Jan Koum in August, over their differences with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg who aimed to monetize on WhatsApp by introducing ads between chats.

Both Acton and Koum were not pleased with that development.

In an earlier interview with Forbes, Acton explained that a disagreement on monetising WhatsApp was the reason he quit Facebook and gave up $850 million.

"At the end of the day, I sold my company. I sold my users' privacy. I made a choice and a compromise. I live with that every day," Acton said.

He alleged that Zuckerberg was in a rush to make money from the messaging service and undermine elements of its encryption technology.

"Targeted advertising is what makes me unhappy, Acton said.

Facebook bought WhatsApp for $22 billion in 2014.