GoKawiilWhatsApp removes hidden AI instructions telling chatbot not to mention regulators or law
Researchers found that WhatsApp's help-center pages contained text invisible to users but readable by AI systems, instructing an AI not to recommend a data protection regulator or cite relevant privacy law once a user mentioned a lawyer. The hidden notes appeared across 102 blocks on 80 of the 545 help pages, and were removed by WhatsApp between October 15 and October 18, 2026, with Internet Archive snapshots confirming the before-and-after state. WhatsApp told WIRED the text was meant for its support chatbot and appeared due to a bug that has since been fixed.