Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed the possibility of imposing a fee or monthly subscription on the "WhatsApp" and "Messenger" applications, after promising to make them a primary source of revenue for the company, which has recently seen a significant decline. According to the "Economic Times," Zuckerberg informed employees that these two applications will lead the next wave of growth in the company’s sales, not the "Metaverse" projects.
This comes amid growing skepticism among investors regarding the ability of Meta's projects in the "Metaverse" to generate profits in the coming years, alongside a 52% decrease in company profits, down to $4.4 billion during the third quarter of 2022. Zuckerberg made these comments in an effort to ease concerns about Meta's financial situation following a recent mass layoff that affected around 11,000 employees.
These statements have caused confusion among "WhatsApp" and "Messenger" users, who fear that the applications may turn into paid services or become inundated with paid advertisements. Online platforms that base their economic model on advertising are particularly struggling due to advertisers reducing their spending in response to global inflation and rising interest rates. Meta's net profits fell to $4.4 billion in the third quarter of this year.
