WhatsApp

WhatsApp Help Pages Hid Secret Instructions Directing AI Bot to Avoid GDPR References

Researchers at Redact discovered hidden instructions embedded in WhatsApp's public help documentation that instructed the company's AI support chatbot to avoid recommending users contact data protection regulators. The instructions also prohibited the bot from referencing GDPR, LGPD, or CCPA when users mentioned legal proceedings or lawyers. The findings emerged after Redact analyzed 545 help pages and identified 102 concealed blocks across 80 of them. One directive explicitly told the bot not to suggest contacting supervisory authorities even when users had lost access to their phone number and could not delete their account, despite WhatsApp's own European privacy policy stating that such complaints are permitted. WhatsApp confirmed to WIRED that the blocks were intended solely for its internal chatbot and attributed their public exposure to an error. The company stated the restrictions aimed to prevent the bot from offering legal advice. All hidden blocks were removed by October 18.

WhatsApp Secretly Instructed AI Support Bot to Suppress References to Data Regulators and Privacy Laws

Investigators discovered hidden instructions embedded in WhatsApp's public help pages that directed the company's AI chatbot to avoid recommending users contact data protection authorities. The instructions also prohibited the AI from citing privacy regulations such as GDPR, LGPD, or CCPA, even when users raised these topics themselves. The directives appeared on pages about account deletion and complaints, remaining invisible to human visitors but delivered to crawlers and the AI model. WhatsApp later confirmed the text was intended for its internal support chatbot and attributed the exposure to an error that has since been corrected. The findings highlight a gap between the company's publicly stated privacy policy and the operational guidance given to its AI systems.

WhatsApp Introduces Parental Controls for Teen Privacy Settings

WhatsApp, owned by Meta (recognized as an extremist organization and banned in Russia), has rolled out new parental control tools for family accounts. Parents can manage privacy settings, group participation, channel access, status visibility, and Meta AI usage for teens, but cannot read personal messages due to end-to-end encryption. All controls are voluntary and require joint setup with the teenager, protected by a single PIN code that prevents easy reversal of restrictions. Notifications alert parents when teens join or leave groups or when group sizes change significantly. Separate options cover channel usage, viewable statuses, and audience controls for teen posts. Meta AI access can be set to a standard 13+ mode or a stricter Limited Content mode with undisclosed restrictions. The company plans to expand these features gradually based on family feedback while maintaining encryption protections.

WhatsApp Adds Support for Multiple Passkeys on Single Account

WhatsApp has expanded its account protection features by allowing users to register more than one passkey on the same profile. The update particularly benefits users who switch between Android and iOS devices while maintaining phishing-resistant login methods. Passkeys replace traditional codes and passwords with biometric authentication, facial recognition, or device lock mechanisms. Meta reports that more than one billion people already use the feature on WhatsApp, with Android support introduced in 2023 and iOS support added in 2024. The change reduces reliance on a single device during authentication by associating multiple keys with one account. Users can manage keys through Settings > Account > Passkeys. WhatsApp has also strengthened two-factor verification by allowing replacement of the six-digit PIN with longer passwords containing letters, numbers, and special characters.

WhatsApp Begins Limited Beta Testing of On-Device Scam Alert to Detect Fraud While Preserving End-to-End Encryption

WhatsApp has started limited beta testing of its Scam Alert feature, which uses an on-device machine learning model to analyze message patterns and linguistic indicators of fraud. The system runs entirely locally on the user's smartphone, ensuring that conversation content is never sent to WhatsApp or Meta. Users receive warnings about suspicious messages from unknown contacts and can choose to block, report, ignore, or mark the chat as trusted. To maintain transparency, each model release is logged in an immutable journal managed by Cloudflare with Ed25519 signatures and SHA-256 hashes. The company receives only anonymized statistics on detections and user actions. In parallel, Signal has introduced automatic key verification using a cryptographically verifiable log audited by Cloudflare and Trail of Bits.

Yandex Details Alice Voice Assistant Audio Buffering and Data Handling in Android Apps

Yandex has issued a detailed technical response to an analysis of its Android applications that raised concerns over potential collection of audio, contacts, bank card data, and other sensitive information. The company acknowledged the existence of a cyclic audio buffer that retains approximately 1.5 seconds of sound before an activation phrase and 0.5 seconds after it, with some pre-command audio possibly transmitted to servers for speech recognition quality checks. Yandex clarified that the Alice assistant only listens locally for the wake word when the app is open and does not continuously record conversations. Access to contacts was explained as necessary for voice commands such as calling entries from the address book, with the full book sent on first sync and only changes thereafter, without hashing to support accurate speech processing. The firm rejected claims of reading messaging app conversations and stated that bank card details are routed directly to an isolated PCI DSS-compliant environment rather than standard application servers.

WhatsApp Developing AI Content Labeling Feature for Channel Admins to Meet EU Transparency Rules

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is rolling out a new function that allows channel administrators to mark posts containing AI-generated or AI-edited media. The feature appears in the latest Android beta and stems directly from European Union requirements for transparency around artificial intelligence content. Administrators can long-press a message after publication and select an option to add an AI content label, which then displays a visible tag informing subscribers that the material was created or modified by neural network tools. The requirement applies specifically to images, videos, and other media files, while generated text remains exempt from mandatory labeling. WABetaInfo researchers spotted the change, noting that the label may become permanent once applied and that the rollout could initially target only jurisdictions with relevant legislation. Broader availability for iOS users and global deployment remain under consideration.

OpenAI Disables Coordinated ChatGPT Network Used for Financial Scams and Identity Forgery

OpenAI has deactivated a coordinated network of ChatGPT accounts that supported financial fraud, romance scams, and identity forgery operations. Criminals leveraged the AI to generate fake personas, translate conversations, and craft targeted messages aimed at victims across multiple schemes. The investigation originated from reports of suspicious activity observed on WhatsApp. Scammers used the tool to produce forged documents including stock confirmations, legal notices, passports, and fake financial interfaces to increase credibility. Operations typically began on social media or messaging apps, building emotional trust or urgency before requesting deposits, activation fees, or nonexistent fines. Indicators of possible human trafficking and forced labor were also uncovered through job advertisements and internal discussions about worker control in Poipet. OpenAI has blocked the accounts and shared operational indicators with law enforcement and technology companies.

Yandex Apps Leak Pre-Trigger Audio Buffers, Payment Data, and Contacts via Reverse Engineering

Reverse engineering of Yandex Search and Yandex Browser APKs reveals extensive data collection practices on Android devices. The apps maintain a server-controlled pre-trigger audio buffer that captures up to three seconds or more of microphone input before the wake word Alice is detected. WiFi fingerprinting, full contact book synchronization via ContentObserver, and transmission of PAN and CVV details to mobpayment.yandex.net occur before tokenization. Additional findings include 94 JavaScript Bridge methods, logcat exfiltration with AES encryption, hardcoded Yandex DNS servers, and a native surveillance library named libquarkenstein_daemons.so. The analysis also covers passive geolocation, cell tower data collection, and inventory of installed applications including competitors such as Chrome, Firefox, WhatsApp, and Telegram. These mechanisms operate under remote configuration flags and bypass several Android privacy restrictions through manifest queries.

WhatsApp Web Gains Native Audio and Video Calling with Screen Sharing and Device Switching

WhatsApp, owned by Meta, is rolling out audio and video calling directly in its web version, eliminating the previous need for a separate desktop application. The update introduces a Calls tab with call history and favorite contacts, along with screen sharing and reactions that match most desktop app capabilities. Calls can now seamlessly transfer between devices without disconnection, allowing users to start a conversation in a browser and continue it on a smartphone. Group calls gain waiting rooms where the link creator can require manual approval for entry, useful for professional meetings. Additional improvements include background noise suppression, faster transition to HD video quality, and the ability to call users via usernames across platforms without sharing phone numbers.

ChatGPT Returns to WhatsApp After EU Forces Meta to Reopen Business API to Rival AI Bots

Home users of generative AI services have begun seeing <b>ChatGPT</b> working again inside <b>WhatsApp</b>, owned by <b>Meta</b> (recognized as extremist and banned in Russia). The partial restoration follows an EU antitrust investigation that accused Meta of abusing its dominant position to favor its own AI assistant. <b>OpenAI</b> originally launched the integration in 2024, allowing users to message the chatbot like any regular contact without extra apps. In 2025 Meta updated its <b>Business API</b> rules, effectively blocking third-party universal chatbots and pushing competitors out. After the European Commission intervened, Meta was required to reopen access, and <b>ChatGPT</b> is now gradually reappearing for some users. The rollout remains uneven, with some contacts responding normally while others stay silent, and no paid subscription is required. Neither Meta nor OpenAI has officially linked the return to the EU decision.

OpenClaw AI Assistant Compromised via WhatsApp: Three Critical Vulnerabilities Allowed Credential Theft, Sandbox Escape, and Arbitrary Code Execution on Host

Security researchers discovered three high-severity vulnerabilities in OpenClaw that could let attackers steal credentials, escalate privileges, and execute arbitrary code on the host system running the AI assistant. Two flaws rated 8.8 on the CVSS scale stemmed from incomplete command filtering that failed to block dangerous inputs, while a third issue rated 8.4 enabled sandbox bypass by mounting parent directories such as /home or /var. The weaknesses potentially exposed sensitive data in ~/.ssh, ~/.aws, and ~/.gnupg, and even allowed attackers to reach the Docker socket for full host escape. Notably, the attack could be triggered remotely through an external WhatsApp message without any prior system access, according to researcher Chinmohan Nayak. All issues were patched in OpenClaw version 2026.6.6, and users are urged to update immediately while tightening sandbox and tool permissions.