The intersection of corporate discourse and platform design: A study of WhatsApp’s corporate blog and website

Abstract

Scholars interested in users’ interactional discourse on WhatsApp need to better understand the corporate interests and commercial motives embedded in the app. Critical media scholars have investigated the intersection of digital design and user agency by examining how technical, social, and economic factors affect the evolution, design, and use of a range of platforms. This study explores the development of WhatsApp’s corporate discourse, showing how design changes and significant shifts in the company’s self-presentation align with the app’s ‘platformization’. WhatsApp initially marketed its messaging service as innovative and interoperable on its website and blog, but its discourse subsequently shifted to emphasizing intimate conversations with close friends and the constant assurance of user privacy, aligning with Meta’s broader discourse on the future of messaging. Nevertheless, the analysis revealed incongruities between the company’s emphasis on user privacy and its commercial interests which prioritize other forms of engagement, such as communicating with businesses. This study ultimately demonstrates the significance of corporate discourse in exposing the economic interests that shape the design of a mobile messenger and the need to consider these interests when examining WhatsApp communication.