World
Meta introduces ‘Incognito Chat’ on WhatsApp for private AI conversations
New feature ensures messages are not saved as company moves to address data privacy concerns
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Meta AI sits outside the Meta House on the opening day of the 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. REUTERS
Washington: Meta Platforms is rolling out a new “Incognito Chat” feature for its artificial intelligence assistant on WhatsApp, aiming to address growing concerns over data privacy.
The company said the feature will be powered by its private processing technology, ensuring that conversations remain invisible to everyone, including Meta itself. Messages will not be saved and will disappear by default, offering users a more confidential space to interact with AI.
The move comes as users increasingly share sensitive personal, financial, health, and work-related information with AI systems, raising concerns about how such data may be stored or used.
“We’re starting to ask a lot of meaningful questions about our lives with AI systems. It doesn’t always feel like you should have to share the information behind those questions with the companies that run those AI systems,” WhatsApp head Will Cathcart said.
Meta noted that while interactions with its AI can be used to improve its models, personal WhatsApp chats remain protected by end-to-end encryption and are not accessible for that purpose.
For now, the Incognito Chat feature supports text-only interactions, with no option to upload images. The AI will also include safety guardrails to prevent problematic responses.
The company added that it plans to introduce a “Side Chat” feature in the coming months, allowing users to access private AI assistance within any WhatsApp conversation.