WhatsApp exposed chatbot instructions on around 80 pages, Wired finds; Meta blames bug
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An analysis by privacy company Redact, published by Wired, found around 100 blocks of hidden text in the code of roughly 80 WhatsApp help and FAQ pages. The instructions, intended for Meta’s support chatbot, included guidance on “what not to say” and told the system not to provide legal advice or interpret privacy laws and regulations. A page about deleting an account, for example, said not to recommend contacting data-protection authorities or regulators.
After Wired contacted Meta, the text was removed from the pages. WhatsApp spokesperson Joshua Breckman said the exposure was caused by a bug that has been fixed, and that the instructions were for the chatbot rather than directly for users. He said the bots are meant to provide help about WhatsApp, not legal advice. It is unclear whether third-party chatbots could access the content or how long it was available.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The incident could prompt teams to review how internal chatbot instructions are embedded in public pages, especially when they concern legal and privacy matters. Since Meta attributed the exposure to a bug, the scope of third-party access and how long the content was available remain open questions.
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