WhatsApp hidden support-chatbot instructions

Redact says it found hidden support-chatbot instructions in WhatsApp help-page code on October 8. Its investigation describes directions against recommending a data protection regulator for an account-deletion problem, and against citing privacy laws once legal action is mentioned. The company reports that the hidden blocks were gone when it checked again on October 18.

WIRED published its reporting on October 19, saying it had viewed exposed text in archived page code. WhatsApp told WIRED that a now-fixed bug had exposed instructions meant for its own support chatbot. Its spokesperson said the chatbot should provide product support rather than legal advice.

The reporting establishes an instruction-disclosure dispute, not a demonstrated result from an AI assistant. Redact says it has not tested whether WhatsApp’s chatbot or outside assistants followed the instructions. The live pages no longer containing the blocks is distinct from proof that every underlying chatbot instruction changed.