WhatsApp Chatbots and KVKK: Compliance Guide for Businesses

One of the most justified questions of businesses wanting to set up an AI-powered customer assistant is: 'Will my customers' messages and information cause issues under KVKK?' The short answer: a properly configured chatbot does not violate KVKK—but there are obligations businesses must be aware of. This article is not legal advice; it provides a general framework and we recommend consulting an expert for your specific situation.

Which Personal Data Does a Chatbot Process?

• Identity and contact: name-surname, phone number (by the very nature of WhatsApp).
• Message content: what the customer writes—appointment requests, address, or other shared details.
• Transaction data: appointment date, requested service, conversation history.

Under KVKK, your business is the 'data controller' for this data; the chatbot provider acts as the 'data processor' on your behalf. This means the chain of responsibility is no different from using WhatsApp without a bot—it just becomes more organized and auditable.

Your Business's Core Obligations

AI-specific questions: 'Are customer messages used to train the AI model?'—this is the right question to ask. At BozLat AI, your customer conversations are not used to train third-party models; the bot generates responses solely from the business knowledge base you provide. Data is isolated on a business basis: one business's data never leaks into another's bot.

'Who is responsible if the bot provides fabricated information?'—Instead of guessing on topics not in your knowledge base, the bot should hand the question over to you; this is the default behavior in our installations. Nevertheless, we recommend testing the bot with your own questions during the trial period before going live.

5 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Provider

• Where is the data stored and is it encrypted?
• Are my conversations used for model training?
• Do you offer a data processing agreement/confidentiality commitment?
• What is the process if my customer requests their data to be deleted?
• Who has access to the conversation records?

Avoid any provider that cannot give a clear answer to these questions. We have clearly outlined BozLat AI's data approach in our privacy policy; you can find industry-specific setups on our industry pages and rates on our pricing page. We highly recommend that businesses processing special categories of personal data, such as health data (clinics, dietitians, etc.), proceed with their own KVKK consultant.