Written by Charlotte Johnson
Moving fast and breaking things might have been a hallmark of tech’s early days, but when billions of users rely on your platform to communicate and transact, trust isn’t something that can be patched in later.
To understand how leading platforms tackle this challenge, we spoke with Anuja More, the Product Strategist and Lead for WhatsApp Business at Meta. With a background in engineering and a career dedicated to scalable social network security, Anuja has steered WhatsApp’s evolution from a messaging app to a communications hub for businesses around the world. In our conversation, she shares how WhatsApp has balanced its expanding functionalities with an uncompromising commitment to trust and privacy—from combating fraud to prioritizing security by design.
Product managers are often tasked with solving invisible problems, like user trust. How do you make decisions that balance user needs with long-term platform goals?
Part of it is recognizing that business and platform goals, when properly aligned, rarely conflict with user needs. A clear vision of long-term objectives lets us focus on understanding and shaping the user experience to achieve those goals. As cliche as it sounds, talking directly to users is the most effective way to build trust and address their concerns.
Since Meta was founded on social networking, we place a huge emphasis on user empathy. Research, surveys, interview—if our users are willing to provide it, we welcome the feedback. Observing users firsthand often reveals the clearest opportunities for improving the user experience and building that trust. And prototyping and testing solutions with their participation also helps ensure that any changes address their needs while staying resource-efficient. We have a very evidence-based, participation-heavy product testing process.
If there’s ever a gap between user needs and platform goals, we conduct trade-off analyses to strike the right balance. It’s also important to communicate the “why” behind decisions—transparency helps foster that trust and loyalty. Product managers can, and should, be both empathetic and data-driven. It doesn’t have to be an either/or approach.
You’ve led the development of trust indicators on WhatsApp, to help users identify legitimate businesses. How do these indicators shape user behavior, and why are they so important for building trust in business communications?
Fake accounts, bots impersonating businesses, and scammers do more than cause harm. They box in the users, discourage engagement, and close off avenues to restore that trust. So, trust indicators, like Verified Badges, provide high-visibility, product-backed signals to help users identify authentic businesses. These markers help customers to make informed decisions about engaging with businesses on WhatsApp. And research shows they work. For example, 65% of users feel more confident messaging businesses with verification marks, compared to traditional channels like email.
User autonomy is equally important. Features like user controls—for blocking or reporting bad actors—empower them to self-remediate. This puts the power back in their hands,improving sentiment and encouraging continued engagement. It’s a win-win: users feel in control, and the platform benefits from improved moderation.
However, trust indicators only work if users understand their significance. That’s why we place a strong emphasis on user education. We also want them to have confidence in WhatsApp’s role in verifying businesses, so we make it very clear how these systems work and affect them. Accountability is incredibly important to us, and we value how much our users hold us to that standard.
Just a few years ago, there were reports that even the U.S. Department of State was relying on WhatsApp for sharing critical information. That’s a big endorsement. How do you think platforms like WhatsApp earn and maintain trust at that level?
End-to-end encryption is the cornerstone of that trust. It assures users that their conversations are private and secure. Combined with WhatsApp’s accessibility, widespread use, and real-time nature, it becomes indispensable for scenarios like crisis management and sensitive communications.
Across the industry, transparency goes hand-in-hand with encryption. Publishing regular transparency reports about government requests, data disclosures, and content removal helps build confidence and demonstrates accountability. Certifications like ISO 27001 can also signal a commitment to security and data protection.
But, as with so many user-facing communications, simply maintaining clear, jargon-free privacy policies does a lot of the work. We also regularly publish user education about security best practices, which helps maintain that trust. When users understand how their data and content will be handled, they’re more inclined to rely on the platform—even for critical communications. This trust naturally extends to institutions and governments.
Messaging platforms like WhatsApp are becoming catch-alls for communication, commerce, and collaboration. What do you see as the next big opportunity for messaging platforms—whether in business, societal impact, or something else entirely?
Today’s messaging platforms are moving toward becoming “super apps” that layer commerce and customer engagement on top of the communication features. –
Features like WhatsApp Payments and in-app product catalogs simplify transactions and reduce friction in the buying journey. Platforms like WeChat Pay in China have demonstrated how in-app payment systems can boost user convenience and conversion rates while achieving widespread adoption.
On the customer engagement side, businesses are increasingly using platform APIs and automation to scale support systems and provide real-time updates. Airlines and hotels use WhatsApp for booking assistance and notifications, which cuts down on their call volumes and leads to more responsive customer service.
And of course, generative AI is finding its applications. AI is advancing personalized communication, customizing marketing automation for better engagement and conversions, improving content moderation, and powering smart assistants.
The potential for messaging platforms to grow into something greater comes from understanding where people need faster, more direct connections. I’m excited to see how they’ll continue to evolve to meet users’ needs.
