Meta has announced a new WhatsApp feature called “Private Processing,” designed to offer users a more private way to interact with its AI assistant. The feature, which is expected to roll out in the coming weeks, is entirely optional and aims to ensure that neither Meta, WhatsApp, nor third-party providers can view the content of these interactions.

According to Meta, the feature allows users to request services like AI-generated chat summaries without retaining any user data after the session ends. The company states that once a Private Processing session is completed, no residual data remains accessible, effectively safeguarding users from post-session breaches.

The move is part of a broader push to enhance privacy protections and minimize security vulnerabilities. “Private Processing” sessions will use the Oblivious HTTP (OHTTP) protocol to hide users’ IP addresses by routing requests through a third-party relay. This approach mirrors Apple’s Private Cloud Compute (PCC) system, although with notable differences in implementation.

While Apple defaults to on-device AI processing and shifts to PCC only when requests need cloud resources, Meta’s system processes all AI queries on its servers. WhatsApp users must opt into Private Processing for each session, rather than having it enabled by default.

In a bid to boost transparency and trust, Meta will also allow independent third-party auditors to verify the system’s privacy protections. It has included Private Processing in its bug bounty program and pledged to publish a detailed security engineering design paper ahead of launch.

The feature marks a significant step in Meta’s ongoing efforts to balance the power of AI with user privacy, particularly at a time when regulatory scrutiny around data handling continues to intensify.