Guide
How to stop your data being fed to Meta’s AI
by Florian Bodoky
WhatsApp’s new Advanced Chat Privacy: what it can – and can’t – do
20.8.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
WhatsApp has introduced Advanced Chat Privacy. It gives more control to users, but experts warn it offers less protection than Meta promises.
WhatsApp has recently started rolling out its so-called Advanced Chat Privacy, first introduced back in spring. Meta’s stated aim is ostensibly to give its users more control over the messages, images and files they share with others in chats and groups. However, there’s a certain lack of clarity as to what this new function actually does, what it safeguards – and what it doesn’t protect against.
What exactly does Advanced Chat Privacy do?
The feature can be activated in both individual and group chats, changing three things. First, images, videos and documents are no longer automatically saved to devices. If someone sends you a picture, you have to open and save it manually if you want to save it locally on your device. The same applies when you send a picture to a chat or group. Second, it’s no longer possible for you and others to export a full chat history. Third, nobody can activate Meta AI in these chats any more, preventing Meta AI from being fed with chat content.
Meta AI in chats: what’s really happening?
What Meta’s artificial intelligence actually does in WhatsApp chats currently varies greatly from region to region. Essentially, you can call up the AI in a chat or chat group with the command @meta ai and assign tasks to it. You can ask for tips for a trip, ask for summaries of unread messages, edit pictures, request planning help in group chats and so on. However, not all of these features are active in Europe.
Source: Florian Bodoky
The problem with this AI support is that requests are processed and stored on Meta’s servers. For example, summaries of messages friends have sent you that should really be encrypted – they all get sent to the servers by your choice, but less encrypted.
Where does Advanced Chat Privacy stop?
The new feature prevents export, AI usage and automatic image downloads – but it doesn’t stop anything else. You (or others) can still capture chat content via screenshots or simply copy it. In the end, it’s still worth thinking twice before posting anything.
On top of that, Advanced Chat Privacy doesn’t prevent the outflow of data to Meta. Even if AI can no longer be activated, WhatsApp still stores and collects certain things on its servers. This so-called metadata – unlike your chats and content you send – is visible unencrypted. The time messages are sent, contacts who received this message, your IP address or the type of device you’re using (iPhone, Android phone, PC, Mac…). WhatsApp can also recognise whether you’re currently online and remember this. This is stored mainly for targeted advertising and profiling, among other minor things.
Moderate data protection
So, it appears this new function conveys a sense of security that isn’t really present, as experts criticise. Although the function makes it more difficult to misuse content from chats and prevents other participants from integrating AI into a chat, the metadata in question still opens the door to advertising companies and potential surveillance.
At least Meta AI is blocked in chats, preventing it from being fed with content and trained further. Remember, this content would be stored on Meta’s servers in a way that’s readable for the AI, despite end-to-end encryption. However, the AI only becomes active when you or your chat partners address it yourself or consciously switch it on. Turns out all those text chains circulating on social networks claiming that Meta AI automatically reads all chats are false.
Source: Mimikama.at
How to activate Advanced Chat Privacy
To use this feature, you have to activate a setting manually – no surprise there. This is necessary for each individual chat and each group , and it isn’t possible in business chats.
Source: Florian Bodoky
On Android
- Open the WhatsApp chat you want to protect.
- Tap on the chat or group name at the top.
- Scroll down to the Advanced Chat Privacy setting.
- Switch the feature on, the switch will turn green.
On iPhone (iOS)
- Start WhatsApp and open the desired chat.
- Tap on the chat or group name at the top.
- Select Advanced Chat Privacy.
- Activate the feature.
Header image: Shutterstock
I've been tinkering with digital networks ever since I found out how to activate both telephone channels on the ISDN card for greater bandwidth. As for the analogue variety, I've been doing that since I learned to talk. Though Winterthur is my adoptive home city, my heart still bleeds red and blue.
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