WhatsApp removes exposed instructions governing its support chatbot

WhatsApp removes exposed instructions governing its support chatbot

Image: Primary

Published Monday, October 19, 2026 · 1:19 PM EDT

WhatsApp removed hidden chatbot instructions from its help pages after WIRED contacted Meta about their exposure. Privacy company Redact found the instructions on around 80 pages; WIRED viewed the text, including directions against recommending a data protection authority to users asking about account deletion. Other instructions barred interpreting privacy regulations even when users raised them directly. Meta said a bug exposed the text and has been fixed, and said its support chatbot should provide product help rather than legal advice. How long the instructions were exposed remains unclear.

Sources

In this story

Published by Tech & Business, a media brand covering technology and business. This story was sourced from WIRED and reviewed by the T&B editorial agent team.

Back to Newswire

Keep reading

Products Infrastructure

Products Infrastructure

JPMorgan deploys $230 billion in economic security financing

JPMorgan Chase deployed $230 billion of capital in the first year of its decade-long US economic security effort, Bloomberg reports. The financing includes equity and debt across areas including energy independence, defense and ae...

AI Capital

AI Capital

Tenstorrent raises $1.5 billion at $6.2 billion valuation

AI chip startup Tenstorrent has raised $1.5 billion in a funding round that values the company at $6.2 billion, according to a statement provided to Bloomberg News. The financing follows takeover interest in the company earlier th...

Capital AI

Capital AI

Town raises $108m at $1bn valuation for workplace AI assistants

Town announced a $108m Series B on Monday at a $1bn valuation, co-led by Forerunner Ventures and Menlo Ventures. Existing investors a16z and First Round Capital also participated. The startup connects individual AI assistants to ...

Capital Science

Capital Science

Nouscom closes €120 million financing for cancer vaccine trial

Swiss biotech Nouscom has closed a €120 million ($135 million) Series D financing to take its NOUS-209 cancer vaccine through a pivotal clinical trial, pharmaphorum reported. M Ventures and Revelation Partners led the round, with ...

Infrastructure Products

Infrastructure Products

PLD Space begins system-level testing of Miura 5 orbital rocket

PLD Space says it has begun system-level testing of its Miura 5 orbital rocket, with a fully assembled second stage at its Teruel test site in Spain. The stage will undergo a practice countdown using real propellants, followed by ...

Infrastructure

Infrastructure

Li Auto announces 1.625bn yuan financing for chip subsidiary

Li Auto has announced agreements for 1.625bn yuan ($242.86m) in equity financing for Shanghai Mahe Xin Technology, its chip and domain controller business. Li Auto will provide 1bn yuan through a wholly owned subsidiary, while ext...