The confusion sparking alarms: what’s really happening with your privacy on WhatsApp
In recent months, WhatsApp users have received alarming messages warning that the app could be using their conversations to train its artificial intelligence. This concern exploded after a privacy update that, although real, has been misinterpreted. Is your information at risk? Here, we debunk the myths and explain what is behind this feature.
What’s behind the viral alert:
It all started with a chain of messages circulating on social media. It claimed that if a specific setting in group chats was not deactivated, Meta would have access to all your messages to train its artificial intelligence. The message caused a stir, but the reality is far from that unsettling scenario.
The function in question, called “Advanced Chat Privacy,” was launched by Meta in April 2025 and is available in certain countries, such as Spain. However, its purpose is not to open the door to AI to spy on conversations, but quite the opposite: to offer greater control over what is shared and prevent third parties from extracting information from your groups without permission.
What advanced chat privacy is for:
This new option applies to group chats, and its activation depends entirely on the user. By activating it, restrictions are placed on other people exporting message content, automatically downloading multimedia files, or interacting with AI tools within the conversation.
One of the most confusing points is the mention of Meta’s artificial intelligence within the groups. When advanced privacy is disabled, users can type “@Meta AI” to summon the virtual assistant, which generates a direct interaction with the AI. When activated, this possibility is blocked, reinforcing the group’s privacy.
It is important to emphasize that personal conversations are already end-to-end encrypted, and Meta AI cannot access that content unless a message is sent directly to it or it is explicitly mentioned in a context where it is enabled.
What Meta AI can and cannot do:
The Meta AI tool is available as an optional assistant in WhatsApp. Although its presence within the application cannot be completely eliminated, its activation always depends on a user action: either starting a chat with it, forwarding a message to it, or mentioning it in another chat. Even in those cases, the AI only accesses the content intentionally sent to it. At no time can it read personal messages not directed to it, let alone use those messages to train AI models.
Fears that Meta is covertly collecting data from WhatsApp groups are unfounded. The company has reinforced its focus on privacy and has explained that this feature is designed precisely to provide more control tools to the user.
