Overview

• Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma told users on X that WhatsApp now lets AI read group chats and urged people to enable a setting to block it.
• WhatsApp told Financial Express that end-to-end encryption remains in place and that Meta AI is optional and can only see what a user chooses to share when invoking it.
• WABetaInfo called the claim inaccurate, noting that only messages that mention @MetaAI are shared with the assistant and that users can verify access via the Message Info screen.
• Advanced Chat Privacy appears in a group’s info and is off by default; turning it on blocks automatic media saving, @MetaAI chat summaries, and chat export.
• Sharma’s post drew supportive yet anxious reactions online, even as reporting emphasized that AI features require user action and can be limited with settings.