Introduction
Over the years, WhatsApp’s privacy policy has been focused on end-to-end encryption of messages shared among users. It provides a private chat room where only you and the recipient of your chat have access to the data shared in the messages. However, similar to other tech giants WhatsApp, recently introduced its latest update on AI-powered messaging features, including smart replies, auto-summarization and advanced chat organization, namely Meta AI. The update has sparked discussions on possible threats to user privacy. Amid these discussions, WhatsApp in April introduced another feature aimed at providing another layer of protection to users. Unlike Meta AI, Advanced Chat Privacy seems to have built a better reputation. Interestingly, Advanced Chat Privacy intends to restrict the usage of Meta AI when enabled by any of the recipients of the chat. This article examines WhatsApp’s Advanced Chat Privacy feature, its intersection with Meta AI and the ongoing discussion on user privacy, the two updates bring to light.
WhatsApp’s user-centric privacy protection
As discussed before, WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption of messages shared between users, meaning that messages are encrypted against WhatsApp and third parties. Only the recipient and you have access to the data shared during the chat. You can use disappearing messages, lock chats, and edit user controls over data sharing and visibility to restrict exporting or sharing data. Media shared by you could be saved to devices of the recipients if not manually restricted by them through settings. These settings, once enabled, provide you more protection against a third-party intrusion and limited protection against misuse of data by the recipient or recipients of the chat itself. Yes, it’s not unlikely to face privacy hazards from other users, particularly the recipients of your chat. WhatsApp is not limited to messaging among friends and family, people whom you may trust. Many professionals use WhatsApp for conversations requiring utmost attention in a short span of time without too much of a hassle, owing to its easy-to-use, data-friendly nature.
What is Advanced Chat Privacy?
Meta-owned WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature called ‘Advanced Chat Privacy’ that aims to boost safeguards around users’ most sensitive conversations. This global-update introduces tighter controls that prevent chats from being exported, used in AI tools, or having media auto-downloaded, building an extra layer of security on top of WhatsApp’s existing end-to-end encryption. The feature aims to provide privacy in situations where participants who do not know each other well such as support groups or community forums are engaged. One can enable the feature by tapping the chat name and selecting “Advanced Chat Privacy” from the menu.
- Prevents Chat Export: Once enabled, participants in the chat or group cannot export the chat history, reducing the risk of sensitive conversations being shared outside WhatsApp.
- Blocks Auto-Download of Media: Media files shared in the chat cannot be automatically saved to participants’ devices, keeping images and videos more contained within the app.
- Restricts AI Usage: Messages from chats with Advanced Chat Privacy enabled cannot be used for AI features, such as asking Meta AI questions or referencing messages in AI tools.
- Available in Both Individual and Group Chats: The setting can be applied to any chat or group, not just private one-on-one conversations.
- Useful for Sensitive Groups: Especially valuable in support groups or semi-public chats where not all members are closely acquainted, but sensitive information is discussed.
- Transparency: All participants are notified when Advanced Chat Privacy is enabled or disabled, fostering trust and awareness within the chat.
- Screenshots Still Possible: Participants can still take screenshots or manually copy content, so absolute privacy is not guaranteed. WhatsApp has indicated plans to address this in future updates.
- Potential False Sense of Security: Users may mistakenly believe their content is fully protected, overlooking remaining manual sharing methods.
Impact on users
It adds another layer of user control on the data shared externally, keeping it private within the chat. Many claim this will build user confidence. All the participants of a chat (Users) are notified if the feature is enabled or disabled, establishing transparency. Users are likely to share more freely knowing they can prevent retention and content sharing or possible misuse of the data. Though the feature allows for screenshots, there is no full-proof guarantee of confidentiality. The feature in its present form essentially allows users to prevent chat export, auto-download of media and use of messages for AI features. Otherwise, the existing loophole compromises the privacy intended to be achieved.
The feature intends to protect highly sensitive data being shared in a space lacking trust or close acquaintance. Hence, the control over data management of such groups has been rested upon users by providing Advanced Chat Privacy. What has prompted WhatsApp to introduce this feature can be the tension created by the possible use of chats to train Meta AI?
Backlash over Inclusion of Meta AI
Many users notice the presence of a blue circle at the bottom right of the WhatsApp Chats screen. The blue circle opens to an AI chatbot and goes by the name Meta AI, which can be used to generate images and answer questions on prompts. Meta AI has raised privacy concerns within the user community. Questions surrounding privacy concerns vis AI training, third-party sharing and no opt-out character of the AI. A user can choose not to engage with it, but cannot remove or disable it by choice. Every interaction with the AI is fodder for refining its model, requiring storage of data in its servers. A spokesperson from WhatsApp has hinted possible retention of data shared with Meta AI.
“Don’t share information, including sensitive topics, about others or yourself that you don’t want the AI to retain and use.”
The privacy policy surrounding Meta AI lacks clarity on access of data without any explicit consent or how the data will be used lacking transparency and undermining user autonomy and consent. WhatsApp informed that only the messages sent through the AI will be processed by the chatbot, but many believe such forced AI integration on a personal messaging app is troubling.
Meta AI and Advanced Chat Privacy
The introduction of Advanced Chat Privacy against the backdrop of privacy concerns with Meta AI represents a shift of focus from Meta v. user privacy, to user v. user privacy. The feature provides an extra layer of confidentiality in chats against other recipients of the chat containing sensitive information. Even though WhatsApp didn’t mention Meta AI in its announcement of the new feature, Advanced Chat Privacy can be a potential protection against involvement of Meta AI but limited to chats where the feature is specifically enabled. It is argued that the continued availability of screenshots and manual saving renders this feature ineffective in safeguarding sensitive data as a whole. The only important thing it addresses so far is the restriction in usage of Meta AI by other recipients within the chat, omitting concerns of data access by the chatbot reinforcing end-to-end encryption. Advanced Chat Privacy makes privacy concerns regarding Meta AI a less pressing matter for the time being. However, in its current form, the feature might fail to ensure intra-user privacy meaningfully. WhatsApp has mentioned that additional updates are on its way and will eventually address the restrictions on screenshots.
Conclusion
The peculiar timing of introducing Advanced Chat Privacy during ongoing privacy concerns over Meta AI may calm the uproar among users. It offers helpful tools for increasing user privacy but still falls short of providing total confidentiality. We will have to wait for further updates on Advanced Chat Privacy to convince ourselves that the feature intends to reinforce end-to-end encryption and is not just a patch but a solution. Updates on Advanced Chat Privacy will remain limited to addressing intra-user privacy, far from broader concerns over consent and privacy raised by the inclusion of ever-present Meta AI on WhatsApp. Hence, sooner or later WhatsApp will have to address deeper issues of lack of control over how Meta AI collects and uses user data.
