Meta Removes WhatsApp AI Instructions From 80 Public Help Pages

Meta removed internal WhatsApp AI support instructions from 80 public help pages after a software bug exposed chatbot rules for responding to account deletion and legal questions.

Of 545 help and FAQ pages examined, 80 contained 102 blocks of hidden guidance. Visitors did not see the instructions on the displayed pages, but the text was present in the underlying webpage code.

One rule told the chatbot not to direct users who could not delete their accounts to data protection authorities or regulators. A separate rule addressed lawsuits and other legal action. It told the system to avoid citing WhatsApp’s legal documents and privacy rules, including when users mentioned the GDPR, LGPD or CCPA.

“These are instructions to our chatbot, not directly to users,” WhatsApp spokesperson Joshua Breckman said. Breckman said the guidance was intended to help the support system give relevant answers without offering legal advice.

Archived versions of one account-deletion page lacked the hidden text on July 12 but contained it by Sept. 4. The guidance remained in page code at 5:40 p.m. ET (21:40 UTC) on Oct. 15. All 102 blocks had been removed by 10:08 p.m. ET on Oct. 17 (02:08 UTC on Oct. 18).