Anger as Meta AI chatbot added to WhatsApp, raising privacy fears
WhatsApp users are annoyed with the new Meta AI chatbot feature that can't be removed, sparking privacy concerns over chat data being used for training. Another case of a tech giant forcing unwanted features on users
9to5: Anger as Meta AI chatbot added to WhatsApp, raising privacy fears
WhatsApp users have expressed frustration at the fact that there is no way to remove the new Meta AI chatbot feature from the messaging app, raising concerns that the company is seeking to use their private chats to train the bot.
Some users are seeing a new Meta AI logo in the chats screen, while others have an ‘Ask Meta AI or Search’ prompt in the search bar. There is currently no way to remove either.
Many users are expressing their frustration at what they see as an unwanted intrusion, with Guardian columnist Polly Hudson among those to object. She likened it to the time Apple annoyed everyone by adding a U2 album to their devices.
I’ve been among the last batch of people who received this update, as all my friends and family have already complained about this feature.
The little gradient circle is placed in a weird location, close to your thumb, so it’s easy to reach, but outside the tabs where the other features reside.
Meta wants to make people use their AI and recover the time they lost to other competitors by putting their assistant in everyone’s – at least, most people in the EU – pocket. In some way, it makes sense to have an AI chat where your chats are.
But on the other hand, this is just another example of a big tech company putting something in your face that you didn’t ask for, and with no way to disable it.
I wish WhatsApp were a simpler communication app as it used to be. Messages, phone calls, and video. All the communication needs under the same umbrella.