Meta rolls out WhatsApp 'incognito' mode to address privacy concerns for AI chats
New Delhi, May 14
Meta has introduced a new "incognito" mode for chats with its Meta AI chatbot on WhatsApp, aiming to give users more privacy while having personal conversations with AI, TechCrunch said.
As per the tech publication, the company, on Wednesday, announced that users will soon be able to start private AI conversations through a new icon in one-on-one chats with Meta AI on WhatsApp. The feature will also be added to the standalone Meta AI app in the coming months.
According to Meta, these incognito chats will run in a secure environment, and the conversations will not be visible to anyone else. The chats will also not be saved, and messages will disappear once the user closes the conversation.
Talking about the new feature, Alice Newton-Rex, Vice President of Product at WhatsApp, said people are increasingly using AI for private and personal questions.
"People are starting to use AI for everything, including some of their most private thoughts, whether that's tackling financial or health questions, or for advice on how to respond to a tricky message from a friend or a colleague. We think it's really important to give people the ability to ask these questions as privately as possible," she told TechCrunch.
The company had earlier added AI-powered message summaries using the same system. Meta now says the new incognito mode is powered by its latest AI model called Muse Spark, which was launched last month, according to TechCrunch.
Meta is also working on another feature called "Side Chat." The feature will allow users to ask Meta AI questions inside a chat privately, without other people in the conversation being able to see it.
At present, users have to tag a message and ask the AI assistant publicly inside a group or chat, making the response visible to everyone. Users who want privacy currently need to copy the text into a separate chat window.
The new incognito mode is expected to roll out to users over the next few months.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good addition, but honestly, I’m still not sure how much we can trust Meta with our data after all those previous controversies. India has the highest number of WhatsApp users, and we really need strong local data protection laws. This feature sounds nice, but let's see how transparent they are about it.
I think the 'incognito' mode is a smart move, especially for people like my father who gets shy asking AI personal questions in a family group. But I hope the messages actually disappear permanently and aren't stored somewhere on their servers. Beta hi toh hai abhi, let's keep our expectations realistic. 😅
As an NRI living in the US, I’ve seen how privacy-conscious users are here. This feature brings WhatsApp closer to iMessage in terms of privacy features. The 'Side Chat' concept sounds promising too—no more awkward moments when someone reads your AI query in a group! But I’d still like to see end-to-end encryption for these chats.
While I appreciate the privacy angle, I worry about the environmental impact. Training AI models like Muse Spark requires huge amounts of energy. India already faces power shortages in many areas. We need to balance innovation with sustainability. Also, will this work properly in local Indian languages? That’s the real test for us.
Finally! I can ask Meta AI for advice on awkward relationship questions without my college group seeing it. 😂 But jokes aside, this is a big step for digital privacy in India. With so many scams happening, having a 'clean slate' mode for sensitive chats is
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.