The Federal Trade Commission alleges that WhatsApp was sold to Facebook with the intention of introducing advertising and competing directly with the social media giant. However, according to co-founder Brian Acton, this scenario never came to fruition. Acton testified during a recent hearing, stating that adverts were never part of WhatsApp’s original plans, and the app would not have become a competitor to Facebook without the acquisition by the social media company.
Source: https://globalcompetitionreview.com/gcr-usa/article/whatsapp-was-never-going-have-adverts-or-social-features-co-founder-says