WhatsApp's hidden instructions told its AI not to recommend a privacy regulator
WhatsApp's help pages hid LLM instructions: dont recommend a regulator
WhatsApp's help pages contained invisible text that only its support chatbot could read. Two of the 102 hidden blocks stood out: one told the AI not to suggest contacting any data protection authority when a user couldn't delete their account, and another forbade citing GDPR, LGPD, or CCPA once a lawyer or legal action was mentioned. The instructions contradict WhatsApp's own privacy policy, which explicitly names the Irish Data Protection Commission and the GDPR. The notes have since been removed.
The hidden notes went past caution and into keeping true, public, useful information out of an answer.