Facebook outlines plans for ‘privacy-focused’ integration of Instagram, WhatsApp messaging

Reports of Facebook’s plans to integrate its messaging platforms surfaced in January, but the newly revealed details confirm the plan and suggest that the social media giant could be redefining how people use the platform to interact and communicate by focusing more on private interactions versus broadcasting messages out to a wide group. The news marks a shift in positioning for Facebook, which has been reportedly lobbying against tougher privacy laws around the world.

Zuckerberg didn’t address how the change would affect advertising revenue, which will be an important part of how the platform moves forward. Facebook makes the lion’s share of money by serving ads based on the data it collects about users across its suite of platforms. Facebook’s growth has already been decelerating for the past few quarters. Marketers could focus more on chatbots, which could operate more seamlessly across the platforms, even though the format didn’t take off on Messenger.