WhatsApp AI chats are not all end-to-end encrypted: What users need to know
It therefore recommends that users avoid sharing information with Meta AI that they do not want to disclose. “The most important thing you need to know is that this new technology won’t be able to access your personal chats.
WhatsApp says Meta AI cannot access users’ personal conversations. Only the people in the chat can read or share them,” a FAQ page says. However, the company says Meta AI uses messages shared with it to respond to users and may also use them to improve its AI models.
WhatsApp users chatting with AI assistants on the platform may not get the same privacy protections as they do when messaging friends and family. The messaging platform has clarified that while personal conversations remain end-to-end encrypted, chats with third-party AI agents are not considered end-to-end encrypted. In its FAQ on how to use AI features on WhatsApp, the company has explained how messages are handled when users interact with Meta AI and third-party AI agents. It has also clarified what information these AI tools can access, offering users a better understanding of the privacy differences between regular chats and AI conversations. It can only read messages that are shared directly with it. Personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning only the people involved in a conversation can read or share them. Meta AI can only read messages shared with it, but your personal messages remain end-to-end encrypted. The platform also keeps AI-initiated conversations separate from other chats to distinguish them from private messages. Users have to send a message to start a conversation with Meta AI, and only the user or a group member can join it. WhatsApp further states that personal information in a user’s WhatsApp account is not linked to their Facebook, Instagram or other apps built by Meta when they interact with Meta AI. Users can also delete their chats with Meta AI. WhatsApp cautions that generative AI responses may sometimes be inaccurate or offensive, as the technology is still being refined.