Whatsapp started Thursday to give select organizations the opportunity to try out a new feature called Channels, which allows them to get followers on the popular, Meta-own news service.
The debut comes at a time when a number of agencies and organizations are disillusioned Elon Musk-in possession Twitter in the face of fees, performance issues, and a drastically reduced content moderation.
Meta described channels as “an easy, reliable, and private way to get important updates from people and organizations right inside WhatsApp.”
A video shared by Meta showed the potential of channels to update people on race results, soccer match results, weather, traffic and even share cooking or home repair tips.
“We believe it’s finally time to introduce a simple, reliable, and private broadcast tool,” Meta said in a post.
Meta said that WhatsApp’s priority will remain private messages, but that users have been asking for a feature like “Channels” for years.
WhatsApp is known for its encryption, which protects against snooping.
According to the platform, more than two billion people worldwide use WhatsApp.
Meta said it is exploring the possibility of making encrypted channels available to groups such as nonprofits or healthcare organizations that may need that level of security.
Channels has been described as a one-way broadcasting tool that allows account admins to send text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls.
According to Meta, global launch partners include the International Rescue Committee and the World Health Organization, as well as football clubs FC Barcelona and Manchester City.
The Silicon Valley tech titan said it plans to gradually expand channel availability in the coming months.
