Stop Surveillance: How to Block Meta AI from Your WhatsApp Chats

A new privacy intervention in WhatsApp provides relief for AI-critical users.

Since the introduction of Meta AI in WhatsApp, artificial intelligence is theoretically present in all chats. Mentioning “@Meta AI” is enough to bring the bot into the conversation. Many users perceive this as an invasion of their privacy. Now, for the first time, there is a way to exclude the AI on a chat level – through the “Enhanced Chat Privacy”.

Function can be activated specifically in chats

Meta has been gradually rolling out the new privacy setting since April 2025. The so-called “Enhanced Chat Privacy” can be found in the settings of each individual and group chat. The toggle is disabled by default and must be manually turned on. Once activated, the AI can no longer be addressed or activated in the respective chat.

How to exclude Meta AI

To remove Meta AI from a chat, users open the respective chat, tap on the settings, and activate the “Enhanced Chat Privacy” option. In group chats, any member can turn this protection on or off – regardless of the admin role. All group members will then see a notice that privacy protection has been activated.

What changes with the setting

With the function activated, it is no longer possible to start Meta AI with the “@” command. The AI's access to messages is thus blocked. Additionally, images and videos are not automatically saved in the gallery, and the chat history can no longer be exported. However, taking screenshots or forwarding individual messages remains possible. A complete deactivation of Meta AI for the entire app is not yet available.

What happens when the protection is activated?

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.