There are many WhatsApp users You are receiving a disturbing message. It indicates that “if we do not activate an advanced privacy option, AIs can access group messages, see phone numbers and even obtain personal information from the mobile phone… even in private chats.” The message is nothing more than a hoax that was already spread in the summer and that uses WhatsApp again as a means of dissemination. We explain why.
manual hoax. According to this hoax, the chats you have on your WhatsApp could be at the mercy of tools like Meta AIthe chatbot that Meta integrated into WhatsApp some time ago. That would imply that they could read everything you write and write to you if you don’t take that immediate action. Although the notice may originate with good intentions, it is false: there is no invasion of privacy. Or at least, none that we didn’t already know.
WhatsApp message that is being spread and that is nothing more than a hoax.
Advanced chat privacy. The function “Advanced chat privacy” was presented by Meta months ago and its objective was none other than to offer more control over the dissemination of content shared in a conversation. The idea is to be able to limit the ability of group participants when redistributing messages and multimedia files. Specifically, and as They already pointed out in Genbeta a few months ago:
- Prevent messages from being shared in other chats, preventing you from using the forwarding option.
- Block automatic saving of media filessuch as photos or videos, in the users’ gallery.
- Disable the ability to use AI features within the chat, such as invoking Meta AI by typing its name.
What does that option do then? Just the opposite of spying on you: it protects you more, in fact. Above all, other participants share things that you do not want to be shared. With this you can block group messages from being sent to other contacts (including chatbots), but you can also block Meta AI from being used within those specific chats.
From reading your private messages, nothing. Goal AI, the chatbot integrated into WhatsAppcan’t see the private messages you’re sending with someone else. The only way this chatbot can access those messages is if you explicitly share that message with her. To do this you have two options:
- Share the message with AI: for example, by copying and pasting it into a conversation with Meta AI, ChatGPT or any other chatbot.
- Invoke Meta AI in the chat: if you write “@meta AI” in that private chat, you will make this chatbot able to access the messages of the chat in which it has been mentioned.
WhatsApp’s AI only reads what you let it read. Precisely with the “Advanced chat privacy” option you can prevent the use of Meta AI from being invoked in those private chats (with another person or a group). If you do not do this, Meta AI will be able to access the messages in which you mention it or to which you give it access so that it can summarize them, for example.
We continue to use end-to-end encryption. It is convenient to remember that when we use WhatsApp we do so with messages that are end-to-end encryption. Not even Meta (nor its AI) can read them, nor can they access or read group messages, including information such as phone numbers or personal information.
Don’t worry. The conclusion is this: that viral message is nothing more than a textbook hoax, and everything it says is false. Meta’s AI is not and will not spy on you, and only accesses messages when you summon it. This AI cannot “spy on you alone”, enter your mobile phone through WhatsApp and steal your private chats or your phone number. What it will use to train its AI models—if you don’t prevent it— are your Facebook and Instagram postsbut of course, those are public.
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