Meta AI: the blue circle in WhatsApp

Meta has now become a familiar presence in your WhatsApp: a blue circle that gives access to Meta AI. After earlier discussions about privacy and the rising popularity of alternatives like Signal, one question remains: is this smart assistant a helpful addition or another step in Meta’s growing influence?

Back in April, we wondered: should we stick with WhatsApp or switch to Signal? That conversation revolved around data, trust, and the dominance of big tech. Now, Meta is inserting itself into our conversations in a new way. Meta AI is an integrated chatbot that can answer questions and carry out tasks. Convenient, maybe even fun. But behind the friendly interface, the question returns: what happens to our data?

What happens to your data?
While regular WhatsApp chats are still end-to-end encrypted, this does not apply to conversations with Meta AI. Those messages can be viewed, analyzed, and used by Meta to train its AI. According to this Business Insider article, this applies not only to WhatsApp, but to all platforms where Meta AI is active.

Online, there is plenty of attention on the new feature. Videos and articles show how you can limit its use. You cannot remove it entirely, as the blue circle remains visible. However, through ‘Advanced chat privacy’ you can completely disable Meta AI for individual chats. In that chat, the AI will no longer be available. If you or someone else tries to use @MetaAI anyway, a message appears: “Meta AI not available in this chat”. This option also disables other functions such as automatic chat export and automatic media downloads.

New legislation
The discussion continues, partly because Meta recently refused to sign the European Commission’s AI Code of Conduct. The new European AI Act partly came into effect on August 2, 2025. That means some rules, such as those for smart chatbots, already apply while others will be rolled out gradually. The code of conduct is a voluntary addition to the law, intended to give companies extra guidelines. Meta did not sign it, which does not mean the company is not complying with the law, but it does mean it has opted out of those extra commitments. 

Privacy and digital well-being
The blue circle in WhatsApp marks a shift in how we handle privacy. Today, we still choose whether or not to use AI, but perhaps in the future, that will not be a choice anymore. Privacy is not just a legal right; it also plays a role in our digital well-being. How technology is used influences how we communicate and behave. It is up to users to decide what place AI should have in their conversations.