WeChat AI assistant clarifies privacy concerns amid public scrutiny

On September 15, 2026, WeChat's AI assistant Xiaoxiao became a subject of public debate on Sina Weibo due to privacy concerns. WeChat addressed these issues, stating that claims about Xiaoxiao accessing chat records or spying on private information are false. Xiaoxiao, a native AI assistant developed by WeChat, is currently in a small-scale beta test. It supports text and voice interaction and offers services like weather, delivery, and food delivery inquiries. It can be triggered in scenarios such as Moments, official accounts, chats, and video numbers for tasks like content summarization. WeChat emphasized that Xiaoxiao's data access is limited to what users can view themselves. It will not read deleted Moments posts, and content recommendations will not exceed user permissions. In chat scenarios, Xiaoxiao only temporarily accesses specific chat records when users ask questions, and these records are handled in a 'use-and-discard' manner. The company highlighted the importance of privacy boundaries as AI integrates into social platforms, stressing data access limits, user authorization, and data retention as critical factors for AI adoption.