Welcome to the forefront of conversational AI as we explore the fascinating world of AI chatbots in our dedicated blog series. Discover the latest advancements, applications, and strategies that propel the evolution of chatbot technology. From enhancing customer interactions to streamlining business processes, these articles delve into the innovative ways artificial intelligence is shaping the landscape of automated conversational agents. Whether you’re a business owner, developer, or simply intrigued by the future of interactive technology, join us on this journey to unravel the transformative power and endless possibilities of AI chatbots.
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In August 2025, several posts across multiple platforms (archived, archived) claimed that a new AI feature available on the messaging platform WhatsApp meant that private messages sent and received on the app were no longer private without manually enabling an “advanced privacy” setting.
The feature from the service’s parent company, Meta, officially launched in April 2024 and was improved to summarize messages in June 2025. It allows users to chat with an AI bot that can, according to the WhatsApp website, create images, summarize unread messages, provide suggestions (for example, a restaurant everyone in a group chat can agree on) and more.
One post (archived) about it received more than 847,600 views, as of this writing. It read:
This message goes out to anyone who is in WhatsApp groups: As of today, AI is available on WhatsApp and therefore has access to all chats. You can enable the “advanced privacy” option. Otherwise, AIs can open group messages, see phone numbers, and even retrieve personal information from your phone… even in private chats. To prevent this: 
1. Click on the bar above that says “Advanced chat privacy enabled. More information.”
2. Turn the “Advanced chat privacy” option to On. Do this as soon as possible and share it with other groups you’re in.
Thanks to barrister @Francis_Hoar for the generic message.
(X user @JamesMelville)
A search of recent posts on Francis Hoar’s X page did not reveal the original message, but it’s possible the claim originated with that account.
The official WhatsApp X account replied to the post above (archived), writing:
This is not true. Meta AI on WhatsApp can only read what you choose to share with it (it does not have access to all your chats or contacts). Meta AI is not ‘on’ until you choose to use it by messaging it directly or invoking it in an existing chat. 
Your personal messages on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted by default, meaning only you and the people you chat with can read or share them.
When another user followed up with a question regarding whether AI could see “the content of the chat” if one person uses the AI tool in a single or group chat, the official WhatsApp responded: “nope, MetaAI can only see the actual message that you (or another person in the chat) send it, not the other messages in the chat.”
(X.com)
These statements from WhatsApp are aligned with the company’s public policies, which state that the “AIs can read what is shared with them, but your personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted.” It also clarifies that “what you send to Meta may be used to provide you with accurate responses or to improve Meta’s AI models, so don’t send messages to Meta with information you don’t want it to know,” and that users also have the option to delete interactions with Meta AI.
Meta’s AI function on WhatsApp acts as a chat on its own where users can send messages and receive answers as well as a function that users can activate within a chat. When a WhatsApp user taps the blue circle icon to the bottom right of the app interface, the following display appears.
(WhatsApp)
The “Advanced Privacy” option the post above referenced is a real feature, but enabling it is not required to protect information not intentionally shared with the Meta AI. According to the April 2025 rollout announcement, “when the setting is on, you can block others from exporting chats, auto-downloading media to their phone, and using messages for AI features” so that “everyone in the chat has greater confidence that no one can take what is being said outside the chat.”
Contrary to what a widely circulated post claimed, Meta’s AI feature in WhatsApp does not by default “open group messages, see phone numbers, and even retrieve personal information from your phone… even in private chats.” 
According to the official WhatsApp privacy policy, the AI feature can read messages that users share with it, but personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted and therefore private. Users can also delete messages shared with the AI feature, which is an optional service that is not applied to messages by default. Enabling the “Advanced Privacy” function further prevents users from being able to share private information outside of a chat.
‘Introducing Advanced Chat Privacy: Enhanced Protection for Your Most Sensitive Conversations’. WhatsApp.Com, 23 Apr. 2025, https://blog.whatsapp.com/introducing-advanced-chat-privacy.
Mehta, Ivan. ‘Meta Is Adding AI-Powered Summaries to WhatsApp’. TechCrunch, 25 Jun. 2025, https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/25/meta-is-adding-ai-powered-summaries-to-whatsapp/.
Meta Launches Exciting New WhatsApp AI Features | April 2024. https://www.hello-charles.com/blog/whatsapp-ai-launched-india-south-africa-news. Accessed 15 Aug. 2025.

Taija PerryCook is a Seattle-based journalist who previously worked for the PNW news site Crosscut and the Jordan Times in Amman.
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