Meta has announced a new “incognito” mode for WhatsApp users aimed at improving privacy during conversations with its artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI.
The company disclosed the development in a blog post published on Wednesday, stating that the feature will allow users to engage in temporary private chats with Meta AI directly within WhatsApp.
According to Meta, conversations conducted in incognito mode will not be stored by default and will automatically disappear once the user exits the session.
The company also stated that messages exchanged in the mode would be processed within what it described as a “secure environment” inaccessible even to Meta itself.
The announcement comes as technology companies continue to face scrutiny over how generative AI systems collect, process and retain sensitive user information.
Meta acknowledged that users increasingly discuss personal issues with AI assistants, including topics related to finances, health, work and relationships, creating stronger demand for enhanced privacy protections.
“We’re starting to ask a lot of meaningful questions about our lives with AI systems, and it doesn’t always feel like you should have to share the information behind those questions with the companies that run those AI systems,” said Will Cathcart.
Cathcart explained that the incognito feature also includes several built-in safeguards designed to reduce misuse and limit potentially harmful interactions.
Under the new settings, users will not be able to upload or generate images during incognito sessions, as the system currently supports text-only responses.
The WhatsApp chief further noted that the AI system is designed to reject harmful requests when necessary.
“It will ‘steer the user towards helpful information if it can and then refuse (to answer) and eventually even just stop interacting with the user completely,’” Cathcart stated.
Meta added that users must confirm their age before accessing the feature, in line with the company’s policy restricting access for children under 13 years old.
The latest development places Meta alongside rivals including Google and OpenAI, both of which already provide users with options to disable chat history or prevent conversations from being used in AI model training.
The move reflects growing competition among major technology companies to address public concerns surrounding privacy, transparency and data security in the rapidly evolving generative AI industry.
