WhatsApp Removed Hidden Help-Page Instructions That Discouraged Chatbot Privacy Guidance
Summary
Redact found hidden instructions in WhatsApp help-page code telling its support chatbot not to recommend privacy regulators in some cases. WhatsApp said a bug exposed the chatbot instructions; whether the bot followed them is unknown.
Key points
- Redact found 102 hidden instruction blocks across 80 WhatsApp help pages; the text was embedded in page code and not displayed to users.
- One block told the chatbot not to recommend a data protection authority to users unable to delete their accounts, while WhatsApp’s European privacy policy describes a right to complain to a supervisory authority.
- Another block directed the chatbot not to cite WhatsApp’s terms or privacy policy or discuss its liability when users raised legal action.
- Redact found the first blocks on October 8 and published its findings on October 19; WhatsApp had removed all 102 by October 18.
- WhatsApp told WIRED the instructions were intended for users who message its AI support chatbot and appeared on the help pages because of a bug.
- It is unknown whether the chatbot acted on the instructions; Redact examined the page text, not the chatbot’s answers.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Exposure of hidden chatbot instructions in WhatsApp help-page HTML
- Impact
- Hidden instructions told WhatsApp’s support chatbot not to recommend privacy regulators to users unable to delete their accounts and to avoid citing privacy laws in certain legal-action discussions. The instructions were present in page source and sent to search-engine crawlers, but whether the chatbot followed them is unknown. WhatsApp said they appeared because of a bug and were removed by October 18, 2026.