- A viral WhatsApp message falsely warns of AI spying if "Advanced Chat Privacy" is not enabled.
- This feature limits message forwarding and saving, but does not protect against suspected automated AI spying.
- Your chats are protected with end-to-end encryption, and no AI can access them without your express permission.
- Meta may use data to train AI, but you can opt out from your privacy settings.
In recent weeks, a viral message has begun to circulate by dozens of WhatsApp groups warning users about privacy risks related to artificial intelligenceThe notice recommends enabling an "Advanced Chat Privacy" feature to supposedly prevent AI from Meta or other services from reading your messages, viewing your photos, or accessing your personal information.
This alarm has spread rapidly, causing concern among many users. However, it is important clarify that this type of messages are part of a recurring misinformation and that the feature in question does not protect against the alleged spying described. It's worth knowing what this tool actually does and how privacy protection works in WhatsApp.
What the viral message says and why it's a hoax
The notice being shared states that if you do not activate "Advanced Chat Privacy", Artificial intelligence will be able to automatically access conversations, both in groups and private chats, and obtain phone numbers or sensitive data. Tools such as Meta AI and ChatGPT are even expressly mentioned, suggesting they could read the entire content of chats without consent.
However, This statement is totally false. Neither AIs have direct access to conversations, Nor does WhatsApp allow any external system to enter your messages on its own.Experts emphasize that these kinds of hoaxes only contribute to creating unfounded fears about digital security, diverting attention from the real measures that do help protect personal information.
What is Advanced Chat Privacy really for?
The "Advanced Chat Privacy" feature was added by WhatsApp to give users more control over what they share within the appWhen enabled, participants in a chat, whether individual or group, are limited to options such as forwarding messages or automatically saving media files to their mobile devices.
- Block messages from that conversation from being forwarded to other users or chats.
- Prevents photos, videos, and other sent files from downloading automatically in the mobile gallery of the participants.
- Disables the ability to use AI-related features, such as mentioning Meta AI in chat.
Thus, The tool acts primarily as a barrier to slow the spread of information, preventing sensitive messages from being forwarded or AI features from being used within the chat itself. It does not, under any circumstances, prevent artificial intelligence from automatically accessing all your messages or your personal information.
Your conversations are end-to-end encrypted.
A very relevant aspect is that WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption on all your chatsThis means that only people participating in a conversation can read your messages. Neither WhatsApp, nor Meta, nor any AI has access to the content of what you write, unless you voluntarily share it yourself.
El The only time an artificial intelligence could know what is being said in a chat is if the user manually shares the message with the AI (e.g. copy and paste into ChatGPT) or if the Meta AI mention feature is used within the chat, which allows this tool to access the content to respond. If "Advanced Chat Privacy" is enabled, the ability to use Meta AI in that conversation is blocked..
What the Advanced Privacy feature doesn't do
It is essential not to attribute to "Advanced Chat Privacy" capabilities that it does not have. It does not act as an absolute shield against all AIs Nor does it prevent WhatsApp from storing messages on its encrypted servers. Nor does it prevent Meta from using certain information to train its artificial intelligence models under its policies.
However, WhatsApp allows request that your data not be used for these purposes from the app's own privacy settings. This gives you greater control over how the company uses your information, although this is separate from the chat's advanced privacy feature.
By eliminating expressions such as "In summary" or similar, a direct informative closure is maintained, highlighting that End-to-end encryption ensures the primary security of your chats, and that the protection of personal data requires both the platform's tools and responsible use by users.
I am a technology enthusiast who has turned his "geek" interests into a profession. I have spent more than 10 years of my life using cutting-edge technology and tinkering with all kinds of programs out of pure curiosity. Now I have specialized in computer technology and video games. This is because for more than 5 years I have been writing for various websites on technology and video games, creating articles that seek to give you the information you need in a language that is understandable to everyone.
If you have any questions, my knowledge ranges from everything related to the Windows operating system as well as Android for mobile phones. And my commitment is to you, I am always willing to spend a few minutes and help you resolve any questions you may have in this internet world.