Hidden chatbot instructions discovered across 80 WhatsApp help pages directed the support tool to avoid mentioning privacy regulators or laws like the GDPR during legal queries.
The hidden blocks conflicted with official policies before being removed by Meta following media inquiries.
According to Redact, which spotted the instructions, the content instructed the system not to suggest users contact data protection authorities or regulators. This was true even in cases where users were unable to delete their accounts themselves, despite the company’s official privacy policy for Europe explicitly stating that users can file a complaint with a supervisory authority.
The limitations on legal references
A second block of hidden instructions instructed the tool not to mention data protection rules, such as the European regulation, when a user mentioned lawyers, lawsuits, or courts.
Redact discovered the hidden notes on October 8 and published its findings on October 19. After examining 545 help pages, it found 102 hidden blocks of text on 80 of them. Older copies of pages online show that the instructions were on the account deletion page at least since September 4 and remained there until October 9.
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The company's reaction
WhatsApp removed all 102 hidden blocks from 80 pages by October 18, shortly after WIRED contacted parent company Meta.
A WhatsApp spokesperson said the guidelines were intended to ensure the accuracy of advice and prevent the assistant from providing legal advice.
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